Arsenal will be looking to bounce back to winning ways this weekend when Newcastle visit the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Mikel Arteta watched on as his side were dismantled by Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, a 4-0 defeat ending a 10-game unbeaten run in all competitions. But surely there is no better team to play than winless Newcastle?
Eddie Howe is yet to take charge of a matchday for the Magpies, after a positive COVID test stopped him from attending the 3-3 draw with Brentford, so his bow could be made in north London.
Arsenal will go into the game as favourites with Newcastle sat rock-bottom of the Premier League table but a warning of Howe's talents have previously come from a former Gunner.
Jack Wilshere played under the 43-year-old for a season back in 2016-17 and was impressed with what he saw from the manager.
“I worked with him at a club that I see now are quite similar to Newcastle – not in terms of the size of the club, but in terms of the players,” he told talkSPORT after Howe's appointment at the start of November.
“Newcastle have got a few ex-Bournemouth players and that is what Eddie does, he gets the best out of those types of players, gets them going and he gets the fans on side.
“He’s a great manager. I think he deserves a chance. If he goes in and does really well, in a few years they could be pushing the top six, which I think he can do.
“When I played under him at Bournemouth we arguably had a worse squad and we finished ninth, so he can definitely do that.
“It’s down to him when he gets that chance to take them to the next level.”
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Howe managed the Cherries for 457 games across two spells, his second stint seeing him guide them into the Premier League and stay there for six seasons.
He left the club following their relegation in 2020-21 and remained out of work until taking charge at St. James' Park, the first new manager of the Saudi Arabian regime.
Howe was well aware of the size of the job on his hands to get Newcastle to where they want to be, however.
"It is a great honour to become head coach of a club with the stature and history of Newcastle United. It is a very proud day for me and my family," he said upon his arrival at the club.
"This is a wonderful opportunity, but there is also a lot of work ahead of us and I am eager to get onto the training ground to start working with the players."
