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With Arsenal hosting Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow, Jamie Carragher’s bold pre-match prediction has pulled Sky Sports’ heavyweights into rare agreement. Roy Keane, Gary Neville, and two fellow panelists are all backing Carragher’s assessment of how Saturday’s game will unfold.
Carragher set the tone on _Monday Night Football_, calling Arsenal “clear favourites” but warning that Newcastle’s desperation makes them dangerous. Despite sitting 14th with four straight defeats, he argued Eddie Howe’s side “have nothing to lose” and will “have a go” at a Gunners team still reeling from last weekend’s 1-2 loss to Manchester City that cost them top spot. e4e7
Roy Keane echoed the sentiment. Known for his blunt takes, Keane said Newcastle’s physicality can “disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm” and pointed to Bruno Guimaraes as the man to set the tempo. “If Arsenal switch off, Newcastle will punish them. But if Arsenal are at it, they win to nil,” Keane said, aligning with bookmakers who price an Arsenal clean sheet at 13/8
Gary Neville, usually more cautious with Arsenal, agreed Arsenal should win but flagged the timing. “Arteta’s men are on a three-match winning run against Newcastle at the Emirates and the Magpies haven’t won there in 12 league trips,” he noted. Still, Neville warned of a “second-half surge” — a trend he expects given Arsenal’s recent pattern of late goals.
Micah Richards and Karen Carney completed the consensus. Richards highlighted Newcastle’s counter-attacking threat through Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, while Carney stressed Arsenal’s need to control Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard’s “transitions” to avoid being hit on the break.
The numbers back the panel: Arsenal are 64% favourites with bookmakers, while Newcastle arrive on a four-match losing streak and with just one win in five.
Kick-off is 12:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. local at the Emirates. The verdict from the studio? Arsenal to win, but only if they match Newcastle’s intensity. As Carragher put it: “This is where Arsenal prove they’re still in the title race, or Newcastle prove they’re not finished yet.”
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