Match talking points will appear here before kick-off.

• 1
  Newcastle's last game was a 1-1 draw at Fulham. Jacob Murphy scored a 25-yard screamer, and it lasted all of three minutes before Rodrigo Muniz equalised. Muniz hadn't scored in 15 months, which made it extra annoying.
• 2
  They also had a Dan Burn goal ruled out after VAR spotted a foul by Yoane Wissa in the build-up. Manager Matthias Jaissle called it 'soft' and said his side did enough to win. Agree that it was soft and you'll make a friend for life.
• 3
  Jaissle also called the draw 'a step in the right direction after the last performance'. That tells you the last performance wasn't great. Newcastle sit roughly mid-table on 12 points from 10 games, about four points clear of the drop zone and four off the top six.
• 4
  That puts them in a very Premier League kind of limbo: not in trouble, not in contention. A couple of wins and the talk is Europe. A couple of defeats and people start looking nervously over their shoulders.
• 5
  The first game back after the break is a big one. Leaders Arsenal visit St James' Park on Saturday 21 November. A win there would change the mood around the club overnight, and fans know it.

• 1
  Arsenal are top of the table with 27 points from 10 games – nine wins and one defeat, which equals the best start to a league season in the club's history. They're five points clear of second-placed Brighton going into the international break, and they're the reigning champions, so the old 'nearly men' jokes have officially expired.
• 2
  Their last game was a 1-0 home win over Hull, settled by a Martin Ødegaard goal with about 18 minutes left. It wasn't pretty – the defence did most of the heavy lifting – but grinding out wins on an off day is exactly what title-winning sides do. Say 'they won ugly' and you'll sound like you watched it.
• 3
  The week before, Arsenal won at Anfield to go top. This week the Premier League's independent incidents panel ruled 4-1 that Jurrien Timber should have given away a penalty for pulling Alexander Isak's shirt in that game. Arsenal fans will tell you it all evens out over a season; Liverpool fans will not.
• 4
  Martin Zubimendi, the £60m midfielder who was a key part of last season's title win, hasn't started a single Premier League game this season, and Real Madrid, Atlético and Chelsea are reportedly sniffing around. He told Marca this week he's not been in contact with anyone and isn't close to leaving. Bring it up gently – it's a sore spot.
• 5
  Viktor Gyökeres is having a lovely international break: he's now scored in seven consecutive Nations League games for Sweden, a competition record. Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, has signed a new deal to 2030. Arsenal go to Newcastle on Saturday 21 November when the league returns – historically a ground where they find life awkward.