Arsenal finally got a win, in what felt like the longest time, yesterday but don’t get too excited about that. The Gunners beat a side in Chelsea that is so poor right now, the best way to describe them is “relegation form.”
Beating up on the Blues doesn’t mean much and that blowout W came with a price- defender Gabriel Magalhaes left early due to injury. If he sustained a serious injury, then it would be a massive blow for Arsenal ahead of their visit to St James’ Park.
? Mikel Arteta has shared a worrying update on Gabriel Magalhaes’ injury.
?? Arteta: “He[Gabriel] wasn’t comfortable. We tried for 10 or 15 minutes but he could not carry on which is strange for Gabi.”
?? He added: “So we are a bit concerned about that[the injury] because… pic.twitter.com/wuKWWv0ZMp
— Arsenal Reports (@arsreports) May 3, 2023
Arsenal FC vs Newcastle United FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. May 7, 4:30pm GMT, St. James Park
Arsenal Starting XI Prediction: go here
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Form: Arsenal WLDDD Newcastle WWWLW
PL Standings: Arsenal 1st, 78 pts Newcastle 3rd, 65 pts
Google Result Probability: Arsenal 36% Draw 26% Newcastle 38%
Team News for Both Sides
For now, the problem with Gabriel Magalhaes has only been reported as a knock, nothing more. As manager Mikel Arteta said, per Arsenal.com:
“He wasn’t comfortable. We tried for 10 or 15 minutes but he could not carry on which is strange for Gabi. So we are a bit concerned about that because normally he’s not one that wants to leave the pitch.”
While that sounds like bad news, there is good news too. See below:
? Arsenal: Gabriel Spotted Smiling Amid Injury Fears
?? Journalist Charles Watts notes Gabriel Magalhaes was smiling post-match despite injury concerns: “He came out on the pitch afterwards and was kind of smiling and talking to people.”
?? Watts on Gabriel’s condition: “He… pic.twitter.com/gvVvoXhV9Y
— Arsenal Informer (@ars_informer) May 3, 2023
Elsewhere William Saliba (back), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and Mohamed Elneny remain out as long-term absentees.
Switching over to the Magpies, Emil Krafth (knee), Ryan Fraser (undisclosed) and Allan Saint-Maximin (thigh) are all sidelined for this one while Sean Longstaff (foot) is a doubt.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.