LONDON (AFP) — Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan is hoping Michael Owen can rediscover his goalscoring touch as he tries to avoid a second Magpies defeat by Arsenal in four days.
Newcastle were beaten 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday and they face a daunting return to north London in the Premier League on Tuesday, with Keegan looking to Owen to stave off another defeat.
In Keegan's first spell in charge at St James's Park the former Liverpool and England striker's recipe for victory was scoring more goals than the opposition -- regardless of how many were conceded.
But in his two games back at Newcastle after 10 years away, the Magpies have failed to score once.
Owen, in his autobiography, was dismissive of Keegan's handling of him during the latter's spell as England manager.
Keegan has made Owen his captain, as part of his attempt to build bridges with the injury-plagued striker, who has not scored in the Premier League since October.
And now he needs him to hit top form to show Magpies fans that the good times can return to Tyneside.
"Michael is nearly back to where he wants to be," Keegan said.
"He is looking really sharp, it is just goals now. If we get him opportunities, he will score.
"We have not been creating much for him and if I had been standing up there up front, I know what I would have been saying to my manager at the time: 'I don't mind chasing stuff, but who is going to give me that bit of quality I want?'"
Keegan is still hopeful of bringing in such players to the north-east club, though there is precious little time left in the January transfer window.
And his first major target, Middlesbrough centre-back Jonathan Woodgate, has seemingly turned his back on a return to St James's, on the verge of joining Tottenham instead.
"You never know, we might surprise ourselves and the last week of the transfer window invariably sees clubs make decisions which make you think: 'Wow, I never expected that'," said the Magpies chief.
"We're only looking at Premier League players. We're not looking to bring anyone in from abroad unless they were really world-class and established -- and invariably they don't come around in this transfer window."
Short on players, Keegan will have to work with the same group who lost at the Emirates on Saturday.
But Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has no such problems and is set to restore those first-teamers rested for the FA Cup tie.
The Gunners are level on points with leaders Manchester United atop the Premier League. Newcastle are 12th, seven points above the relegation zone.
Keegan admitted there was a big gulf between the two sides following Saturday's defeat.
Wenger can see the difference, too.
"We scored when we were in control and that was hard for Newcastle to absorb mentally," the Frenchman said.
"If they had scored in the first-half, it would have given them more belief.
"We played against a good team who started well, but we eventually controlled the game in the second half. The second goal killed them.
"I need always to win because I want to win, but this team has done extremely well since the start of the season and I was quite confident -- I was not worried at all before the game."
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