Newcastle United will look to make it three wins in a row when they host Brighton & Hove Albion at St. James’ Park on Saturday.
Brighton & Hove Albion ended their six-match winless run in their last outing, and they will now be eager to add to it when they hit the road to square up against Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Saturday afternoon.
The home team are fighting for a European spot with three games to go in the season. They might not have reached the levels they did last time out but they are currently sixth with 56 points out of their 35 outings and are looking to consolidate their position.
They have won four of their last five league game and are heading into this one on the back of a 4-1 win over Burnley. It was a dominant display, and they will look for something similar against the Seagulls.
The visitors are currently 11th in the points table, and they have accumulated 47 points from their 35 outings. They are two points behind ninth-placed West Ham United but have a game in hand. As a result, the Seagulls will look to push for all three points and climb up.
Their disappointing run of six winless games in the Premier League came to an end in their last outing when they stunned fourth-placed Aston Villa. Brighton dominated Unai Emery’s team and got the job done on the night and will look for a similar result against Newcastle.
The reverse fixture ended in favour of Brighton as Evan Ferguson scored a hat-trick and guided them to a 3-1 win. The Magpies will look to avenge that loss when they host Roberto De Zerbi’s team. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
The home team will be without the services of Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Joe Willock, Matt Targett, and Lewis Miley. Kieran Trippier is closing in on a return and his fitness levels will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Eddie Howe could make a few changes to the XI as his team is playing two games in a very short span of time. They will stick with the 4-3-3 formation where Martin Dubravka will continue in goal despite Nick Pope’s return from injury.
Valentino Livramento and Lewis Hall will be the full-backs for the home team, while Emil Krafth and Dan Burn will feature in the heart of the defence.
Elliot Anderson will feature in the centre of the park, while Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff will be in his support. The trio will look to dictate the pace of the game. Finally, the in-demand Alexander Isak will lead the line for Newcastle United against Brighton, while Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon will provide width to their attacks.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Dubravka; Livramento, Krafth, Burn, Hall; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Anderson; Gordon, Isak, Barnes
Brighton & Hove Albion
The visitors will be without the services of Solly March, Evan Ferguson, Jack Hinshelwood, Kaoru Mitoma, Tariq Lamptey, James Milner, and Pervis Estupinan. Meanwhile, the availability of Adam Lallana and Jan Paul van Hecke is a major doubt for this fixture.
Roberto De Zerbi will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Bart Verbruggen will be in goal. Joel Veltman and Igor Julio will be the full-backs for this one, while Lewis Dunk will pair up with Adam Webster in the heart of the defence.
Pascal Gross and Billy Gilmour will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will look to shield the backline. Meanwhile, Simon Adingra and Facundo Buonanotte will feature on the flanks, they will provide width to their attacks. Joao Pedro will feature as the attacking midfielder just in behind Danny Welbeck, who will lead the line for Brighton against Newcastle.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, Webster, Dunk, Igor; Gilmour, Gross; Buonanotte, Pedro, Adingra; Welbeck
Key Stats
- The reverse fixture between the two teams ended 3-1 in favour of Brighton & Hove Albion.
- Brighton & Hove Albion were on a six-match winless run before winning against Aston Villa last time out.
- Newcastle United have been in red-hot form of late, having won four out of their last five games.
- The Magpies have won their last two home games against the Seagulls.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have only won one of their last ten away games in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Anthony Gordon
Gordon, who joined the Magpies at the start of last year, has only gone from strength to strength over the last 15 months. The 23-year-old winger has been in sensational form, and he has 20 goal contributions in his 33 league outings this term.
The former Everton prospect has found the back of the net on ten occasions and has as many assists in the league. He has been a consistent performer for Newcastle United this term and will be eager to add to his tally and help his team secure a place in the Europa League for next season.
Prediction
Newcastle United 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
While Brighton & Hove Albion did manage to end their winless run with an emphatic win over Aston Villa last time out, and they will be confident about their chances, the visitors might not be able to get past the Magpies who are in red hot form.
Despite the number of injuries to key players, Newcastle United still have a lot of quality in their ranks, and those players should guide them to all three points here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the Magpies.
