Arsenal begin their quest for Premier League glory in 2019-20 at Newcastle United, with St James’ Park the stage upon which Unai Emery’s side will make their competitive bow this term.
Pre-season ended with four winless games for the Gunners, including a 2-1 reverse against Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy last Sunday.
Newcastle, meanwhile, will be under the charge of Steve Bruce for the first time in a competitive environment, having signed off their friendly matches with a convincing 2-1 win over Saint-Etienne.
| Game | Newcastle vs Arsenal |
| Date | Sunday, August 11 |
| Time | 2pm BST / 9pm ET |
| Stream (US) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
For UK readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! US readers can find out what soccer is on TV here!
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| NBCSN | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the UK, the match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. It can be streamed via Sky Go Extra.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League | Sky Go Extra |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Newcastle squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Dubravka, Darlow, Elliot |
| Defenders | Lascelles, Schar, Fernandez, Clark, Dummett, Willems, Manquillo, Krafth |
| Midfielders | Hayden, Ki, Shelvey, Ritchie, Almiron, S. Longstaff, M. Longstaff |
| Forwards | Atsu, Saint-Maximin, Joelinton, Gayle, Muto |
Newcastle starting XI: Dubravka; Schär, Lascelles, Dummett; Manquillo, Shelvey, Hayden, Longstaff, Ritchie; Almiron; Joelinton.
| Position | Arsenal squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Leno, Martinez, Macey |
| Defenders | Bellerin, Sokratis, Monreal, Mustafi, Chambers, David Luiz |
| Midfielders | Elneny, Mkhitaryan, Torreira, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Willock, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Ceballos |
| Forwards | Lacazette, Aubameyang, Nelson, Pepe |
Arsenal starting XI: Leno; Maitland-Niles, Chambers, Sokratis, Monreal; Guendouzi, Xhaka; Mkhitaryan, Willock, Nelson; Aubameyang.
Betting & Match Odds
Arsenal are 17/20 to kick their season off with a win at bet365 . Newcastle are 7/2 to cause a shock, while the draw is on offer at 14/5.
Match Preview
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Unai Emery’s second season with Arsenal begins in earnest with a trip to Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Gunners had a satisfactory first campaign with the former Paris Saint-Germain boss in charge, though they missed out on the Champions League, something they will be eager to rectify between now and May.
While the summer addition of Nicolas Pepe seemed to set the Emirates side up for a thrilling all-out-attack approach this season, Emery subsequently moved to secure the signings of defenders David Luiz and Kieran Tierney over the final hours of the transfer window, suggesting that some effort will be made to shore up an area that has long been considered an Achilles heel for the team.
With both ends of the field strengthened, the Gunners will hope to return to Europe’s top table in little over 12 months, having narrowly missed out last time around by finishing fifth in the league last term and failing to overcome Chelsea in the Europa League final.
“Our ambition is to do the best possible in the all the competitions, the most important of these is the Premier League,” Emery said.
“Our first target is to be in the top four, we reduced the distance last season. Manchester City and Liverpool are stronger than the others at the beginning.
“We want to compete with them and reduced the points gap. Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea have the same objectives.
“Last year the difference was really small and the challenge now is for us to achieve a top-four finish.
“Other teams are coming back, signing new players and working very well. The Premier League is the best competition in the world. We are going to work to compete and get into the top four.”
Newcastle, meanwhile, are coming off the back of a complicated summer that saw Rafael Benitez depart at the end of his contract. While speculation whirled for weeks, it was ultimately Steve Bruce who was the man anointed to replace the ex Real Madrid boss.
There has been scepticism over the appointment, but the Magpies turned in a strong display against Saint-Etienne in a friendly victory last weekend.
“Hopefully, I’ll win those supporters who are still in doubt over,” Bruce said on Friday. “Over a period of time, hopefully, I’ll get that sort of respect they have for Rafa. Deep down I know the fans will get behind the team. You can feel a little mood swing already.”
A positive result against the Gunners would only hasten that progress.
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