3 talking points ahead of Newcastle vs Arsenal

Arsenal make the trip to face Newcastle this afternoon with hopes to returning to winning ways in the Premier League.

The Gunners defeated Port Vale 2-0 last time out to progress to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. Goals from Eberechi Eze and Leandro Trossard helped Mikel Arteta's side bounce back from their draw with Manchester City in their previous Premier League outing.

With this being a big game for both sides, there are three key talking points as Arsenal and Newcastle go face-to-face on Tyneside.

1. Catching up to Liverpool

Heading into the weekend, Arsenal found themselves five points behind leaders Liverpool, who had enjoyed a perfect start to the season so far.

However, the champions fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace on Saturday with ex-Gunner Eddie Nketiah netting the winner deep into stoppage time. That presents Arteta's side with the chance to close the gap between themselves and the Reds to just two points.

With that opportunity presented, a victory against Newcastle is absolutely crucial for Arsenal. They have to keep the pressure on Liverpool if they want to challenge for the title this season, even if it is still early in the campaign.

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