Arsenal will put the disappointment of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Brighton behind them as they focus on Newcastle United and Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at the Emirates.
The Gunners were frustrated by Brighton at the Amex, which saw Joao Pedro’s penalty cancel out Ethan Nwaneri’s first-half opener, but midfielder Thomas Partey knows they are in for another tough test this week. Newcastle return to North London full of confidence, having won their last six in all competitions, including Saturday’s 2-1 success over Arsenal’s rivals Tottenham.
Eddie Howe’s side have already beaten Arsenal 1-0 at St James’ Park in November, and Partey, who played at right-back after injuries to Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu and a suspension for Jurrien Timber, is relishing the challenge of taking on an in-form Newcastle.
“I’m very excited, we have to prepare well,” Partey said of the visit of Eddie Howe’s side. “We know how difficult it is to play against them, the quality that they have, the players they have, we have to be ready for them.
“It’s going to be amazing; we know how big the supporters are and the big part they play in the games that we play, and we’ll need them for this game.”
Partey admits Arsenal’s players were left deflated by the Brighto result, which halted their winning run at three top-flight games and failed to put significant pressure on leaders Liverpool.
“We are sad, frustrated, everybody is down but that’s part of football,” he said. “We wanted to win, we wanted to keep the momentum going and at the end of the day, we didn’t get it.
“But it’s also a positive one because we did not lose. We have to try our best and win these games because they’re the most important ones, but it’s not an easy game against a good side and to win here you have to be perfect. We need to forget (about Saturday) and keep on working hard to win our next game.”
Mikel Arteta’s men start a run of five successive home matches on Tuesday evening by beginning their two-legged League Cup tie with Newcastle. The Gunners then face Manchester United in the FA Cup third round, Premier League clashes with Tottenham and Aston Villa and a Champions League match with Dinamo Zagreb.
How to follow our NUFC WhatsApp channel
Did you know you can now get Newcastle United stories on WhatsApp? As well as our NUFC communities, we also have a channel dedicated to sending you the best news, opinion and analysis on all things black-and-white.
All you have to do is follow our channel on WhatsApp by clicking this link or you can find us by searching Chronicle Newcastle United.
Updates will then automatically appear if you select the Updates option on your WhatsApp menu and selecting the ‘Chronicle – Newcastle United’ channel. It’s as easy as that. There are already thousands signed up, but remember to turn your notifications on so don’t miss out.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/arsenal-stars-amazing-newcastle-united-30712655
