- Arsenal v Newcastle: the referee and the result as predicted by past matches
- Arsenal v Newcastle: a chance for a resounding victory
100 Consecutive Seasons in the Top Division: The story of all 100 seasons. Latest episode: 1987/8: faith in Arsenal is finally rewarded
By Tony Attwood
Between 15 September 2018 and 27 November 2021 (ie just under three years and three months), Arsenal and Newcastle played each other eight times – seven times in the league and once in the FA Cup. Arsenal won all eight games, scoring 18 and conceding one goal. And yes that is not a mistake of mine – it was one goal. But because I know that looks pretty amazing I am setting out the actual records.
| Date | Game | Res | Score | Competition |
| 15 Sep 2018 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | Premier League |
| 01 Apr 2019 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 11 Aug 2019 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 16 Feb 2020 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 4-0 | Premier League |
| 09 Jan 2021 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 2-0 | FA Cup |
| 18 Jan 2021 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 3-0 | Premier League |
| 02 May 2021 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | W | 0-2 | Premier League |
| 27 Nov 2021 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 2-0 | Premier League |
However, after that things changed a bit in the following eight games Arsenal won just two matches, drew one and lost five. And because again I know this all sounds fairly spooky and odd I am once more putting in the details below. The goal tally this time was six goals for Arsenal and nine for Newcastle. The only excuse we might consider is that the last two games were Legue Cup matches where Newcastle put out their first team and Arsenal used a nubmer of reserves.
| 16 May 2022 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | L | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 03 Jan 2023 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
| 07 May 2023 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | W | 0-2 | Premier League |
| 04 Nov 2023 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | L | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 24 Feb 2024 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | W | 4-1 | Premier League |
| 02 Nov 2024 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | L | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 07 Jan 2025 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | L | 0-2 | League Cup |
| 05 Feb 2025 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | L | 2-0 | League Cup |
It was a pretty weird turnaround, not least because each run was of eight games, and nothing has been manipulated here to include or exclude certain cup matches. All the cup games and all the Premier League games that occurred in the two runs have been included.
Now, since then, there have been two more league games between the two clubs. At the end of last season, on 18 May to be precise, Arsenal beat Newcastle at the Arsenal stadium by one goal to nil. Then near the start of this season, Arsenal beat Newcastle away 1-2 (28 September). Both matches were in the League.
If we look at the last eight games Newcastle have played, we find that they have won just two games – 1-0 away to Chelsea and 2-0 at home to Manchester United, and although we might feel that Chelsea are these days falling under a bus of their own making, Manchester United are sitting third, although admittedly 12 points behind both Arsenal and ManC.
Newcastle however, are 14th, just below Crystal Palace and just above Leeds, and as we can see from the table below, there is a big difference between them and Tottenham, four places lower down, as Newcastle not only have 11 points more but also an eight-goal goal difference.
|
Club
|
|
|
|
|
F
|
a
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
33
|
21
|
7
|
5
|
63
|
26
|
37
|
70
|
|
|
|
33
|
12
|
6
|
15
|
46
|
49
|
-3
|
42
|
|
|
|
33
|
7
|
10
|
16
|
42
|
53
|
-11
|
31
|
So playing Newcastle is not quite like playing Tottenham in that Newcastle tend to win matches that Tottenham wold most likely draw, but even so Newcastle can’t be seen as a top of the league type of club. Ande indeed in the last three seasons Newcastle have shown themselves to have a bit of flair, coming fourth, seventh and fifth. Much of this must be down to Alexander Isak who knocked in 25 goals in 2025/6 and 27 in 2024/25 as the club also won the League Cup.
But the big issue around Newcastle is that they are now on the edge of getting a punishment from UEFA for breaking financial regulations during their time in the Champions League. And it doesn’t matter if Newcastle gets into a European competition or not – they can still be punished.
And this is curious because although, like all financial calculations, there is some complexity in the Uefa rules nevertheless some of the regulations are quite clear, for example that clubs in the Champions League must not spend over 70% of their income on players’ costs such as transfer fees, agent fees and of course wages.
Now this is different from the Premier League rule which says 85% is the limit and the PL level is set at this high bar to give clubs that are not in the Champions League an extra chance to buy their way up the ladder – and thus stop clubs like Manchester City which have bought their way to the top in the past from simply sitting there with other clubs having little chance of getting higher up the ladder.
Newcastle lost £181.2million in the last three years which is way over the Uefa hree-year loss limit
