Newcastle United will host Brighton & Hove Albion at St. James’ Park on Saturday, looking to bounce back from a run of four consecutive defeats in the Premier League.
Newcastle United are 14th in the Premier League table, and they have endured a hugely disappointing season as they prepare for the match vs Brighton & Hove Albion. It remains to be seen whether they can bounce back strongly.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion are in impressive form with four wins and a draw from the last five Premier League matches. The Seagulls will be confident of getting a good result here. However, Brighton are without a defeat against Newcastle United in the last six meetings and it remains to be seen whether they can come away with all three points again.
Fabian Hurzeler’s men will be hoping to qualify for European football next season. The visitors are sixth in the league table, and they need to win the remaining matches of the season to compete in Europe. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Emil Krafth (knee), Valentino Livramento (thigh), and Fabian Schar (ankle) are all ruled out for the home side. Anthony Gordon is in doubt with a groin issue. Newcastle United will shape up in a 4-3-1-2 formation vs Brighton & Hove Albion, with Aaron Ramsdale in goal.
Kieran Trippier and Lewis Hall will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw will form the central defensive partnership for the home side.
As for the midfield unit, Bruno Guimaraes will start in the middle of the park alongside Sandro Tonali and Joelinton. Joelinton and Guimaraes will look to add creativity and drive to the side, while Tonali looks to provide defensive cover.
Anthony Elanga will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create openings in the final third. Finally, Nick Woltemade will spearhead the Newcastle United attack alongside Yoane Wissa.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Ramsdale; Trippier, Botman, Thiaw, Hall; Joelinton, Tonali, Guimaraes; Elanga; Woltemade, Wissa
Brighton & Hove Albion
Fabian Hurzeler will be without Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas this weekend due to their knee injuries. Meanwhile, James Milner has a knock, and Solly March has a muscle problem. Brighton & Hove Albion are likely to shape up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs Newcastle United, with Bart Verbruggen in goal.
Joel Veltman and Ferdi Kadioglu will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and help out in the final third. Jan Paul van Hecke and Lewis Dunk will pair up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Pascal Gross and Carlos Baleba will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side. Georginio Rutter will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to help create opportunities in the final third.
Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma will start on the flanks. They will look to add pace and unpredictability to the attack. Finally, Danny Welbeck will spearhead the Brighton & Hove Albion attack vs Newcastle United on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, van Hecke, Kadioglu; Gross, Baleba; Mitoma, Rutter, Minteh; Welbeck
Key Stats
- Newcastle United have lost their last four matches in the Premier League.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have scored at least two goals in their last four matches in the Premier League.
- Newcastle United have lost by a one-goal margin in their last four matches in the Premier League.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have four wins and two draws from their last six matches against Newcastle.
- Brighton & Hove Albion are unbeaten in the last five Premier League matches.
Player to Watch
Danny Welbeck
The veteran English striker is in impressive form, and he will look to cause all sorts of problems for the Newcastle United defence with his ability to hold up and bring others into the game.
Welbceck is excellent in the air, and he has shown he can find the back of the net consistently. It remains to be seen whether he can help his team grind out three important points here. Newcastle United will need to keep him quiet if they want to get something out of this contest.
Prediction
Newcastle United 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Both teams will be fighting for all three points here, and the game is likely to be close. Newcastle United are struggling, but they will look to make a statement in front of the home fans.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion are in impressive form, and they will not want to slip up here. They will look to put up a strong showing on the road. It will be difficult to separate the two teams, and they could cancel each other out. A draw seems quite likely.
