Archive
Arsenal v Newcastle: Two Changes
Written by Newcastle Utd
Rob Elliot and Cheick Tiote return to the United starting line-up for Saturday's fixture at Arsenal
By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor
At the Emirates Stadium
Rob Elliot and Cheick Tiote return to the Newcastle United starting line-up for Saturday's Barclays Premier League fixture at Arsenal (3pm kick-off).
Elliot was forced to withdraw from the Magpies' side during the warm-up of their last fixture at West Bromwich Albion after suffering from illness, but the Republic of Ireland international has recovered to take his place back in between the sticks.
And Ivorian enforcer Tiote makes his fifth top flight start of the current campaign.
The pair replace Karl Darlow and the injured Vurnon Anita, and they are the only two changes from Monday's single-goal defeat at the Hawthorns.
United are expected to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Elliot behind a back four of Daryl Janmaat, Chancel Mbemba, captain Fabricio Coloccini and Paul Dummett.
Tiote and Jack Colback will patrol the middle of the park at the Emirates Stadium, with Moussa Sissoko and seven-goal leading scorer Georginio Wijnaldum taking up roles on either flank.
And in the final third, Spanish forward Ayoze Perez will partner Serbian international Aleksandar Mitrovic, with the pair having netted seven goals between them to date this season.
Joining Darlow on the substitutes' bench are Ivan Toney, Florian Thauvin, Yoan Gouffran, Siem de Jong, Jamaal Lascelles and Kevin Mbabu.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Petr Cech; Hector Bellerin, Per Mertesacker (c), Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal; Mathieu Flamini, Aaron Ramsey; Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott; Olivier Giroud
Substitutes: David Ospina, Kieran Gibbs, Gabriel Paulista, Calum Chambers, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Alex Iwobi, Joel Campbell
Newcastle United (4-4-2): Rob Elliot; Daryl Janmaat, Chancel Mbemba, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Paul Dummett; Moussa Sissoko, Cheick Tiote, Jack Colback, Georginio Wijnaldum; Ayoze Perez, Aleksandar Mitrovic
Substitutes: Karl Darlow, Kevin Mbabu, Jamaal Lascelles, Siem de Jong, Yoan Gouffran, Florian Thauvin, Ivan Toney
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Greater Manchester)