Newcastle United will look to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they welcome Brentford to St. James’ Park on Saturday afternoon.
Newcastle United got off to a positive start to the new season with a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on the opening day. But they failed to win any of their next six Premier League games.
Eddie Howe’s men slid into a winless slump in which they have only managed to draw against teams like Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace, and Bournemouth in a stretch that dented early hopes of a European spot. Newcastle eventually returned to winning ways last weekend by making light work of ten-man Fulham in a 4-1 romp to victory at Craven Cottage.
The result lifted the Toon up to the seventh position in the Premier League table, and they will be aiming to close the gap between them and the UEFA Champions League spots when Brentford make the trip to Tyneside this weekend.
Brentford, meanwhile, are currently tenth in the league. The Bees have had a mixed start to the season, winning two, losing two, and drawing four of their opening eight games of the campaign. Thomas Frank’s side swept aside Manchester United 4-0 and Leeds United 5-2. But they played drab stalemates against Everton and most recently Bournemouth.
The last time Newcastle played host to Brentford, the pair played out an entertaining 3-3 draw. Ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
One year ago, everything changed.
Newcastle UNITED.
⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/GBRbMT7lSZ
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) October 7, 2022
After having to work with an under-strength squad in recent weeks, manager Eddie Howe has been handed a treble fitness boost ahead of Brentford’s visit to St. James’ Park. The Magpies could welcome back Allan Saint-Maxmimin for the first time since August, with the Frenchman successfully recovering from a hamstring problem.
The Newcastle boss will also make a late call on Jonjo Shelvey, who suffered a long-term calf injury at the start of the season but is now back fit ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, Joelinton is ready after shaking off a minor knee issue. And summer signing Alexander Isak is making good progress but is unlikely to feature this weekend.
Eddie Howe is set to deploy a 4-3-3 formation and could keep changes to a minimum in his starting eleven for this encounter. Nick Pope will continue in goal for the Bees. The English goalkeeper will be protected by a back-four comprising Dan Burn, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman, and Kieran Trippier, which transitions into a back-three when Trippier forays forward to help out the attack.
Up ahead in midfield, Joelinton may return to the starting XI after missing the Fulham game with a knock. Joe Willock and Bruno Guimaraes were the standout midfielders against Fulham, meaning Sean Longstaff could drop to the bench, with Joelinton offering more dynamism and close control in tight spaces than the Englishman.
Striker Callum Wilson has the physicality and hold-up play to be a nuisance for the opposition. But most importantly for Howe, he is prolific in front of goal, having netted five times in his last five Premier League games.
Jacob Murphy impressed on a rare start at left-wing against Fulham, and Howe may well reward him with back-to-back starts here. Saint-Maximin will be a useful option off the bench to turn the game on its head if Newcastle struggle to break down Brentford. On the other flank, Miguel Almiron will be hoping for more of the same after hitting a stunning brace the last time out.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Willock, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Wilson, Fraser
Brentford
Unlike his counterpart in the Newcastle United dugout, Thomas Frank has a few injury problems. Club captain Pontus Jansson was forced off with a hamstring strain during Brentford’s goalless draw against Bournemouth last weekend. Ethan Pinnock will be assessed and remains a late call, but Christian Norgaard (Achilles) and Keane Lewis-Potter (ligament) miss out.
Frank has alternated between the 4-3-3 and the 3-5-2 systems this season, using the former against Bournemouth. He will stick with that here to mirror Newcastle United and prevent free space in the middle of the park.
⌛ Watching over the final preparations#BrentfordFC | #NEWBRE pic.twitter.com/1aDK9KgCj2
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) October 7, 2022
With Pinnock doubtful, Kristoffer Ajer may deputise at the heart of the Brentford defence alongside a robust Ben Mee, flanked by the full-back duo of Aaron Hickey and Rico Henry.
Vitaly Janelt will be tasked to anchor the midfield. Josh Dasilva could also return as the left-sided central midfielder, with Mathias Jensen switching across to the right, and Shandon Baptiste facing the drop to the bench.
This season, Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo have combined to score half of Brentford’s goals, with the former taking more shots and generating more chances from open play than any other Brentford player. Mikkel Damsgaard will slot in as the third attacker in the absence of Lewis-Potter.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Hickey, Ajer, Mee, Henry; Jensen, Janelt, Dasilva; Mbeumo, Toney, Damsgaard
Key Stats
- Newcastle United are unbeaten in their last six league matches against Brentford (W5 D1).
- Brentford have lost only two of their last eight Premier League matches on the road (W3, D3).
- Newcastle have only lost one of their last 14 Premier League home games (W8 D5), yet the last three have all ended in a draw. They have not drawn four straight top-flight home games since August 2005.
- Brentford’s goalless draw at Bournemouth last time out ended a record of 19 straight away league games without a clean sheet. They have not kept successive shutouts away from home in the top flight since a run of three in the late 1930s.
- The Bees have failed to score in their last two Premier League games, having gone three league games or more without a goal in March/April 2019 (4).
Player to Watch
Miguel Almiron
The Paraguayan attacker bagged a stunning match-winning brace at Craven Cottage, including a wonderful volley into the top corner worthy of being a “Goal of the Season” contender at least. Almiron’s work ethic and commitment to the cause have never been in doubt throughout his Newcastle career, but his end product had never been up to the mark.
The 28-year-old has changed the theme for the better this season, though. Almiron has been excellent all season, from bagging six goals in pre-season to becoming a regular goalscorer for Paraguay to now starring in the Premier League.
He has scored three goals in his last six Premier League games, having scored only one top-flight strike in the whole of last season. The former Atlanta United star has got a wicked left peg and has picked out the right half-space as his favourite area to fire shots with more consistency.
His dangerous movement in front of the opposition goal has also helped him become a more potent scorer. Against Brentford, he will be attempting to score in successive Premier League outings for the second time, having previously done so in July 2020.
Prediction
Newcastle United 3-2 Brentford
This clash has the potential to be an entertaining affair, with Newcastle playing aggressive football to appease their home support. Meanwhile Brentford are prolific on transitions and set-pieces, using former Newcastle United striker Ivan Toney as their focal point up top, even though the Bees’ goal-scoring form in recent weeks has been dire.
The Magpies’ impressive performances have deserved more victories, but injuries to key players have prevented them from reaching their full potential. The hosts are unbeaten at home this season, and a contentious defeat at Liverpool has been their only loss in eight league games so far. So they should be confident of earning a result over Brentford.
