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Unai Emery indicates two Arsenal stars won’t be starting against Newcastle United

5 years ago
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Newcastle brought to an end 10 straight wins by Arsenal when beating them 2-1 at St James Park in April 2018.

However, last season it was back to usual last season, the Gunners winning home and away against NUFC.

Alexandre Lacazette scored the second goal when Arsenal won 2-0 at the Emirates in April, plus he scored the consolation in that rare victory for Newcastle a year earlier.

The Frenchman now set to form what looks a formidable £177m trio with Aubameyang and new signing, Nicolas Pepe.

Unai Emery watched on as his Arsenal side lost to a last minute Suarez goal on Sunday.

Over 98,000 in the Camp Nou to watch the final Gunners friendly as they lost 2-1 to Barcelona, despite Aubameyang giving them a first half lead.

Two notable names were missing from both the team and the bench and unsurprisingly Unai Emery was quizzed about them after the final whistle.

The Arsenal boss indicating that neither Alexandre Lacazette or Nicolas Pepe will start the game, with surely a place on the bench at best.

Emery will definitely be looking at the bigger picture, as his side face Liverpool and Tottenham in their third and fourth matches.

Lacazette has missed the last two friendlies with an ankle injury and Unai Emery says they are going to carefully monitor his progress this week but when he says hopefully the striker ‘will be ready for the match against Newcastle’, he is surely only meaning as a potential impact sub.

As for record signing Nicolas Pepe, he has had no pre-season whatsoever after getting an extended break after the African Cup of Nations and joined Arsenal only last week.

There will be no risks taken with the record signing with the manager saying he has to be ‘patient’ in terms of when he gives him his first game.

Arsenal have an excellent squad and with their record over the years (it was 2005 when NUFC last beat them at St James Park before the 2-1 in 2018) against Newcastle, the Gunners will fancy their chances on Sunday, even if without two of their star attacking trio.

As for Newcastle United, the absence of the pair from Arsenal’s line up can only be a massive boost but will Newcastle’s new look attack have enough to get a positive result?

Unai Emery:

“Hopefully he (Alexandre Lacazette) will be ready for the match against Newcastle.

“The doctors are optimistic and we are going to wait.

“The next few days are going to be important, to see if he can progress with his injury.

“If he is OK for Sunday then perfect…but if not, for the next one.

“Tomorrow [Monday] we are going to train together.

“Each day for him [Nicolas Pepe] is information.

“We hope he can be available for this [Newcastle] match but with him I want to be patient.

“He is in the same situation as the other players who have been coming in these last days.

“With Pepe it’s [now] better to be training and be working with us.”

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