Pardew: I have no fear about going to Arsenal

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew. Photo: Jonathan Brady/PA

Saturday, December 29, 2012
10:38 AM

Alan Pardew has warned Arsenal not to underestimate injury-hit Newcastle as they head for the capital determined to atone for their Boxing Day disappointment.

Despite missing a host of senior players, the Magpies took the lead three times at Manchester United on Wednesday before eventually succumbing to Javier Hernandez’s last-gasp winner and slipping to a seventh defeat in nine Premier League outings.

Far from improving ahead of this evening’s trip to the Emirates Stadium, Pardew’s selection crisis has deepened with his delight at midfielder Cheick Tiote’s return from suspension being tempered by central defender Mike Williamson’s one-match ban and Vurnon Anita’s badly-bruised ankle.

However, the 51-year-old saw enough during an eventful 90 minutes at Old Trafford to be confident that in the likes of Gael Bigirimana and Sylvain Marveaux, who both started against United, he has under-studies who are up to the task.

Pardew said: “I have got good players. Bigirimana will have grown from that performance; Marveaux has been a little bit of a plus for us in that he seems to have finally found his feet here.

“I say that all the time about international players, they take different times - Anita took at least 10 games to get going.

“Sylvain Marveaux has taken a year. He has had injuries in there as well, but he is looking the part, so we have got good players.

“I have no fear about going to Arsenal.”