Sealing an elusive first win is Gunner be tough
UNITED COULD MAKE IT AN UNLUCKY 13 AT THE EMIRATES
IT FAILED to materialise when every Geordie was hopeful and now with the dirty dozen confined to history’s dustbin up comes what could be unlucky 13.
Newcastle United blew the chance of a first Premier League victory against Brentford and so having conceded three goals at home they must travel to Arsenal with the worst defensive record imaginable still searching to get rid of the label of being the only side in England’s four top divisions without a win.
They must attempt to do it with limited personal input from new boss Eddie Howe, a victim of Covid as well as a Newcastle jinx.
Oh well, nothing is easy this horrible season.
Twelve matches played, none won, a whopping 27 goals conceded, bottom of the league.
The only way is up? Maybe not come Saturday lunch but hopefully yes eventually.
There is inevitably good news and bad news on that front.
Four of the previous 10 top-flight teams to be winless after the first dozen matches still survived – Manchester City (80-81), Sheffield United (9091), Everton (94-95) and Derby (2000-01).
Mind you Wolves, West Brom, Swindon, Norwich, QPR and Sheffield United last season all took the d re a d e d drop!
O f course, if 1 2 becomes 13 without a three- point haul then the pressure will be cranked up to almost unbearable levels for the next two games in the
space of f four f d days at t home to Norwich and Burnley.
Such is the crazy world of NUFC at the moment that while we contemplate the shuddering thought of relegation and Championship football we are at the same time being linked with signing one of the world’s top players!
The eye-popping suggestion United could lure Kylian Mbappe to Tyneside on the back of newfound wealth was
made db by no less l th than W World ld C Cup winner and fellow Frenchman Emmanuel Petit.
However, back to the now rather than Fantasy Island. History is not on United’s side at the Emirates.
Since United won 1-0 back in November 2010 they have visited Arsenal on 10 occasions (nine in the league) and lost the lot.
Neither can solace be found in Howe’s record. He lost each of his five games there while in charge of Bournemouth.
Should Newcastle defend as they did against the busy Bees of Brent
ford f d th then A Arsenal l will ill slaughl h ter them. Mikel Arteta had fashioned a Gunners revival which brought eight wins and two draws in 10 matches before Liverpool overwhelmed them, as they do many sides.
There is a need for United to tighten up, deny space, cut out stupid individual mistakes and concentrate.
Not dive in, get too tight and let players spin off them - and not get caught with acres of space behind the ‘full-backs.’
The defence has been an embarrassment most of the time and we can only hope Martin Dubravka comes back and gives a little confidence to those immediately in front of him. United have leaked three goals in each of their last three home games against Spurs, Chelsea and Brentford with new owners looking on in disbelief.
Now it is London opposition again but this time in the Smoke.
The Mags earned a draw at Crystal Palace, 1-1 just as they did at Brighton, so can they live in hope? They have to because no match can be automatically given up when points are so desperately required with United playing catch-up. United need everything to go right for them and everyth ing badly for Arsena l . Plus a big dollop of luck.