This fixture, whichever way round it is played, has become decidedly feisty ever since Eddie Howe’s appointment as Newcastle’s head coach.
From Newcastle’s 2-0 victory at St James’ Park in May 2022, which effectively ended Arsenal’s hopes of finishing in the top four, to a grisly 0-0 at the Emirates when nine players were booked, including Jamaal Lascelles, a non-playing substitute, for disrupting a throw-in…
To Mikel Arteta’s “disgrace” rant after that VAR special on Tyneside last season, there have been incidents aplenty. Tension has even seeped into the boardroom.
In November, Newcastle again won 1-0 at St James’, prompting Arteta to offer them a half-compliment: “They are really good at what they do.” He referenced Newcastle’s physicality and said “they dragged us into that too often.”
Howe’s response: “It’s irrelevant to me what anyone says.” And, come on, let’s be honest: these little, niggly, logic-free rivalries are part of what makes football such a joy. More tonight?