Arsenal v. Newcastle: a game preview wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a mystery

This has quickly turned into a pretty crazy week for Arsenal, and with things flying around the squad as they are, an already important fixture is becoming more so seemingly by the day. But no pressure, boys.

We play Newcastle, who are right smack in the middle of the table (9th, to be exact). They're as good on the road as they are at home record-wise (2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses home and away) but they are +7 at home in terms of goal differential, where they're -2 away. So the record may be a bit deceiving, but they're more than able to win on the road. They are not to be taken lightly. Nobody in the Premier League is; a lesson Arsenal learned the hard way when they brought a weak effort to West Brom's visit, and were handed their heads.

That's not the only pressure placed on the Gunners.

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Manchester United won yesterday, but Chelsea plays Liverpool today. Even with the Merseysiders playing beneath their station this year, they should be a tough out for Chelsea, and this could be an opportunity to pick up points. Manchester City have West Brom, who they should theoretically be able to handle (but Arsenal knows how that kind of thinking can hurt you). The upshot is this: the pace must be maintained; wins are required, especially at home.

The big news in the week was the weird loss to Shakhtar Donetsk. The team was flat, and honestly didn't look to be a great threat to a team they had already beaten handily once. Granted several players were missing due to injury concerns, but the effort was not there (much like in the West Brom game), and even with players missing if effort had been present, it's likely that the outcome would have been different. Now the Newcastle game will be looked at as a chance to bounce back, lest a losing streak begin.

The strangest news came in the weekend, when reports surfaced that Arsène Wenger is involved in an extramarital affair. I'm not going to go into the details here, for a few reasons. I'm a sports blogger, not a gossip blogger. I don't feel like I'm qualified to comment on the personal lives of players and personnel. Honestly, I hate the idea of adultery, and it's something that I would never condone. But Wenger (as far as I can tell) hasn't commented on the matter, and all I have to go on is tabloid reports. I'm not going to fly into a rage every time the British tabloids say something about an Arsenal player, nor their manager. To put it succinctly, I do not care about this story. Things that don't directly have an effect on Arsenal's play are not my business, and this falls neatly into that category.

Or at least it should. It's relevant here, because it's something that's in the news, and because of that, even though it really shouldn't, this has the potential to have an effect on Arsenal's play. The old chestnut of "off-the-field distractions" rears its ugly head; whether it's Fabregas leaving for Barcelona, Wenger's comments on officiating, or this, media memes can be a distracting force against a team that really doesn't need the trouble. I really hope that one way or another, this doesn't become a long-term issue - Wenger either needs to admit to what happened, deny it, or refuse to comment based on principle (this, if you're wondering, is the one that I'd choose), and then put it to bed. Whatever happens, don't let it fester, because that could be disastrous.

There is one piece of (hopefully) good news to cleanse the palate, though. According to the Daily Mirror (via Young Guns), Robin van Persie has been named to the squad for today's game. It won't be known for sure until near game time whether he'll be starting or in the bullpen (if I had to guess, based on how long he's been gone, I'd bet my house on the latter), but either way this is an encouraging sign. The walking wounded are finally nearly all back - still waiting on you, Vermaelen - and Wenger will soon have the enviable issue of finding playing time for everyone. Skill has come from unexpected places, and it will take deft management to keep everyone sharp. Again, though, that is a good problem to have.

With the number of problems facing Arsenal, it's nice to have one good one.