Why is Arsenal vs Newcastle kicking off at 8pm today? – Express

Arsenal will welcome Newcastle United to the Emirates Stadium this evening as Mikel Arteta’s side go in search of another crucial three points in the Premier League title race. The Gunners are within touching distance at the top of the league, while Newcastle are looking to stay within reach of the European positions following a string of disappointing results.
The two sides head into the contest in contrasting Premier League form, with Arsenal having put together a run of five consecutive league wins. It came after a bumpy spell at the back end of 2023, where the Gunners suffered defeats to both West Ham United and Fulham.
Since then, there’s been no stopping the capital club, who alongside winning their previous five Premier League encounters, have been finding the back of the net with ease. During their imperious run, Arsenal have netted an impressive 21 goals, while conceding just twice in that same time.
Eddie Howe can only dream of such performances at Newcastle right now, with the Magpies struggling for form in the Premier League. Newcastle are in the midst of a torrid run, which has seen them win just two of their previous eight league outings.
Defeats to the likes of Luton Town and Nottingham Forest have plagued their recent form, whereas last weekend’s draw at home to Bournemouth was their fourth match at St. James’ Park without a win in a row. Their task is unlikely to get any easier tonight, with Arsenal having lost just once at home in the Premier League since May 2023.
But there will be an unusual aspect to this clash, with the match in north London set to kick off at 8pm. The fixture was originally allocated the traditional 3pm slot on a Saturday, but was moved back to 8pm when the match was picked up by broadcasters TNT Sports.Defeats to the likes of Luton Town and Nottingham Forest have plagued their recent form, whereas last weekend’s draw at home to Bournemouth was their fourth match at St. James’ Park without a win in a row. Their task is unlikely to get any easier tonight, with Arsenal having lost just once at home in the Premier League since May 2023.
But there will be an unusual aspect to this clash, with the match in north London set to kick off at 8pm. The fixture was originally allocated the traditional 3pm slot on a Saturday, but was moved back to 8pm when the match was picked up by broadcasters TNT Sports.
Usually, the TNT Sports fixture would be played at 12:30pm on a Saturday, but because Arsenal faced FC Porto away from home in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, tonight’s fixture was moved to a later slot instead. Unsurprisingly, the decision has caused chaos for travelling Newcastle supporters.
The last train leaving the capital for Newcastle this evening departs at 9pm, which is just as the second half at the Emirates Stadium is due to get underway. It means Newcastle supporters heading back to the North East will either have to find alternative travel or stay over in London for the night.
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