Newcastle United vs Arsenal – Combined XI

Newcastle United take on Arsenal in the Premier League this weekend, a clash between two teams with ambitions of challenging at the top end of the table.

Both sides have competed in the Champions League in recent campaigns and boast two talented squads. Ahead of their fascinating encounter at St James’ Park, we’ve put together our Newcastle and Arsenal Combined XI.

Newcastle United vs Arsenal – Combined XI

Goalkeeper: David Raya – Arsenal

David Raya’s debut season at Arsenal started shakily but the Spaniard recovered to win the Premier League’s Golden Glove. There are few doubts over his importance to the side now, with Raya responsible for extraordinary saves against Wolves, Aston Villa and Atalanta already this season. One of the best in the division.

Right-back: Ben White – Arsenal

Another who overcame initial reservations to become an integral part of Arsenal’s progress. Excellent in possession and able to cover multiple positions, he’s perhaps the perfect defender for Arteta’s Arsenal. Thomas Tuchel should get on the phone…

Centre-back: William Saliba – Arsenal

An undebatable inclusion. Saliba has emerged as one of Europe’s best defenders across the last two seasons. Virgil van Dijk, often held up as the standard for centre-backs, this week admitted he was ‘nowhere near’ Saliba’s levels at the same age. That’s some compliment.

Centre-back: Gabriel – Arsenal

Gabriel has been consistently commanding for Arsenal for over two seasons now, having formed one of European football’s best central defensive partnerships with Saliba. The Brazilian’s bulldozing in both boxes is a large part of what makes Arsenal such set-piece specialists.

Left-back: Jurrien Timber – Arsenal

It’s an all-Arsenal backline, with Jurrien Timber making up for lost time this season. An ACL injury on debut decimated his debut campaign in North London but he’s barely skipped a beat since returning to the side.

Accomplished right across the defensive line and comfortable stepping into midfield when required, his £34m fee appears a snip given the sums spent elsewhere.

Midfield: Bruno Guimaraes – Newcastle

Bruno Guimaraes breaks up the Arsenal domination of this side. The Brazilian was a player of interest to Arsenal earlier in his career and there might just be some regret at not concreting that interest.

A huge favourite at Newcastle, Guimaraes is the all-action presence of Eddie Howe’s engine room. No player in the Premier League has recorded more through balls or drawn more fouls so far this season.

Midfield: Declan Rice – Arsenal

That Declan Rice’s price tag is rarely mentioned means the midfielder has done fairly well in justifying that fee.

Rice instantly improved Arsenal after he arrived from West Ham and ended his debut campaign as runner-up in the FWA Footballer of the Year award. Mikel Arteta would not enter a game of this size without Rice in the ranks.

Right-wing: Bukayo Saka – Arsenal

Last weekend Saka became the youngest-ever Arsenal player to reach 50 goals in the Premier League and the seventh-youngest overall. Of those above him, only Cristiano Ronaldo can not be considered an out-and-out centre-forward.

Saka is just brilliant and 10 goal involvements in eight games this season underline his importance to Arsenal. He’s irreplaceable.

Left-wing: Anthony Gordon – Newcastle

Some mocked Newcastle’s decision to spend £45m on Anthony Gordon. None are now.

The winger has been outstanding since swapping Everton for St James’ Park and was duly named Newcastle’s Player of the Season in 2023/24.

With endless energy and improving end product, no player produced more goal contributions against the Premier League’s Big Six last season.

Forward: Alexander Isak – Newcastle

Alexander Isak has been so good at times for Newcastle that the Swedish striker has earned comparisons to Arsenal icon Thierry Henry. There’s certainly an effortless cool to how Isak drifts past defenders and converts chances, even if he hasn’t quite been at his best this season.

Still, he’s pretty special when in the mood.

Forward: Kai Havertz – Arsenal

The talk surrounding Arsenal’s ‘need’ for a centre-forward has quietened down a fair bit of late. Kai Havertz’s evolution into an all-action spearhead for Mikel Arteta has been the driving factor behind that, with the German impressing when leading the line.

Havertz looked very much like a number nine when heading home Arsenal’s third at Preston in midweek, already his seventh of the season in all competitions.

Read – Five of the best games between Newcastle and Arsenal

See more – Eight talking points ahead of the Premier League weekend

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