Steve Bruce now leads sack race following Newcastle's dismal defeat at Arsenal

Published on: 19 January 2021

Under-pressure Steve Bruce now leads the Premier League sack race following Newcastle United's 3-0 loss at Arsenal on Monday night.

Newcastle haven't won a match since December 12 and have lost seven of their last nine in all competitions while scoring just one goal in 11-and-a-half hours of football.

And the bookmakers now expect Bruce to be the next top-flight manager to get the boot, with Betfair giving odds of 6/5.

That has shortened significantly from a price of 20/1 a month ago, 5/1 a week ago and 5/2 even three days ago as Bruce moves ahead of Sheffield United's Chris Wilder in the sack race.

Another demoralising performance saw Arsenal easily beat Newcastle on Monday night thanks to two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang either side of Bukayo Saka's strike.

It came after Newcastle became the first team defeated by Sheffield United in the league this season, when they lost 1-0 at Bramall lane last Tuesday.

They also exited the FA Cup to Arsenal the previous weekend, albeit putting up much more of a fight in a 2-0 loss after extra time after squandering good chances.

Newcastle also exited the Carabao Cup to Championship club Brentford just before Christmas.

Despite their latest setback increasing the chances of his sacking, Bruce insisted he is '100 per cent' the man to keep Newcastle in the Premier League. They sit 15th, seven points above the relegation zone.

Asked if he remained the right man for the job, Bruce said: 'I've been in it a long, long time and I've managed to do it before.

'When you're in the bottom half of the Premier League, the reason why you're there is because some part of the season you're going to have a difficult spell. It's how you deal with it.

'I'm never going to shy away from it. So yes, 100 per cent [I am the man].'

Newcastle had one shot on target at the Emirates Stadium, and Bruce added: 'In the final third we missed that final pass.

'We've tried all week to get people in the box and score a goal. Unfortunately, we've been punished on the break, that's why we've been deep in the past, to avoid situations like that.

'There's no denying confidence is low but the only way through it is to stick with your beliefs and change. We're not alone. That's why we're in the bottom half of the Premier League.

'Half the Premier League is in a relegation battle, is it not? There's only a few points between a few teams. We always knew this would be the most difficult part of the season for us in terms of fixtures. We've got to keep plugging away at it and I'm sure it will turn.'

Their next assignment is a trip to Aston Villa this Saturday.

Source: m.allfootballapp.com

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