Newcastle United face a tough challenge on Sunday afternoon as they take on Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in a game with massive implications at the top of the table.

Newcastle will be without Emil Krafth, Jamaal Lascelles and Ryan Fraser for their game against the Gunners. On top of this, Sean Longstaff and Allan Saint-Maximin are also major doubts – it’s likely that these two will also miss out on Sunday’s fixture.

In their last game, the Toon came from behind to beat bottom club Southampton. Stuart Armstrong opened the scoring for the Saints, but Newcastle weren’t about to roll over – in the second half, a Callum Wilson brace and an own goal from Theo Walcott gave the Magpies a 3-1 win.

Arsenal, meanwhile, defeated local rivals Chelsea in their last Premier League game. It was a dominant display from the Gunners, as a disjointed Blues outfit could do little to resist their coordinated counterattacks. The score was 3-1 after full-time – ultimately, it flattered Chelsea.

When the two teams last met, they played out a surprisingly entertaining 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium. Newcastle effectively soaked up pressure, but were unable to forge an effective counterattack – all the while, Arsenal could not break down their stouthearted opponents. With the Premier League landscape having drastically changed, will the outcome be any different in the reverse fixture?