Arsenal 1 Newcastle 0 LIVE: Premier League 2017-18 football as it happened at Emirates Stadium as Mesut Ozil volleys Gunners to victory

Gunners secure first League win in four

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James Benge16 December 2017

Arsenal 1 Newcastle United 0 | Premier League | Emirates Stadium | Kick-off: 3pm | Saturday, 16 December, 2017

Arsenal returned to winning ways but had Mesut Ozil to thank for scoring a wonderful winner as they toiled against out-of-form Newcastle.

Having taken just two points from their last three games, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger could not have wished for a better game in which to register a first Premier League win of the month.

But the performance in a tight victory over the Magpies was met with incredulity from pockets of the home fans, with the likes of Alexis Sanchez and the recalled Alexandre Lacazette struggling to make an impact once again.

Follow all the reaction with James Benge LIVE at the Emirates!

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Team news and starting line-ups

Arsenal XI: Cech; Bellerin, Koscielny, Monreal, Maitland-Niles; Xhaka, Wilshere; Iwobi, Ozil, Sanchez; Lacazette

Subs: Ospina, Chambers, Kolasinac, Coquelin, Elneny, Welbeck, Giroud

Newcastle XI: Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo, Hayden, Merino, Atsu, Perez, Murphy, Joselu

Subs: Clark, Dummett, Gayle, Diame, Ritchie, Aarons, Darlow

Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)

Head to head

Prediction

Betting odds (via betfair, UK users only)

16 December 2017

It's a big day for Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who continues despite a fit Kolasinac being on the bench. He was not at all bad against West Ham but he couldn't really have an impact despite the opposition handing him a lot of the ball. Can he change that today?

16 December 2017

Today is Arsenal's charity matchday, raising money for the Arsenal Foundation. Players will be donating their wages for the day to the Foundation, who help projects around the world.

Here's more from the club:

The support of fans and players on the day will allow The Arsenal Foundation to create more safe places for children to play football in north London andoverseas with Save the Children.

"The Foundation will continue its partnership with Bob Wilson’s Willow, helping  to provide special days to seriously ill young adults. It will work locally with youth homeless charity Centrepoint and many more in the local community."

16 December 2017
16 December 2017
16 December 2017
16 December 2017

All eyes on this man this afternoon - will Alexandre Lacazette make a return to the Arsenal first-team after being benched for Olivier Giroud? Arsenal could certainly do with him. And will Shkodran Mustafi be back?

16 December 2017
16 December 2017

Team news to come at 2pm.

16 December 2017

Arsenal will be without injured duo Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey for Saturday's Premier League visit of Newcastle.

Ramsey injured his hamstring in last weekend's 1-1 draw at Southampton while Walcott (groin) is also sidelined, although the Gunners could welcome back Shkodran Mustafi as the defender is back in training following a thigh complaint.

Arsene Wenger is likely to bring Sead Kolasinac and Alexandre Lacazette back into his starting line-up after they were rested at West Ham, but Santi Cazorla (ankle) remains absent.

Provisional squad: Cech, Ospina, Mertesacker, Holding, Mustafi, Koscielny, Chambers, Monreal, Debuchy, Bellerin, Nelson, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Wilshere, Xhaka, Elneny, Ozil, Iwobi, Sanchez, Welbeck, Lacazette, Giroud.

16 December 2017

Welcome to the Evening Standard's LIVE coverage of Arsenal vs Newcastle.

Tune in on Saturday afternoon for the latest score from Emirates Stadium. Kick off is at 3pm.

For the latest betting odds and specials for this match, head to Betfair.com.

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