Newcastle United will host Brighton & Hove Albion at St. James’ Park on Saturday, looking to get back to winning ways.
Newcastle United have failed to win their last three Premier League matches, and the Magpies need to bounce back if they want to stay in the hunt for UEFA Champions League qualification when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to St. James’ Park this weekend.
The Tyneside outfit have picked up just two wins from the last six league games, and the fans will be expecting a strong reaction here. Meanwhile, Brighton are level on points with Newcastle, and they ended their winless streak with a victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the last game.
The Seagulls will look to build on that performance and grind out a positive result here. Both teams are quite evenly matched and they should be a cracking contest. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top. They will certainly fancy their chances of eating each other here.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Newcastle United will be without Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles because of their respective long-term knee injuries. Lewis Miley misses out with an ankle problem, while Kieran Trippier has a thigh injury. The home side will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Nick Pope in goal.
Valentino Livramento and Lewis Hall will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Lloyd Kelly will pair up alongside Dan Burn at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Bruno Guimaraes will start alongside Sean Longstaff and Joelinton. Longstaff will look to break up opposition attacks, while Guimaraes and Joelinton will add creativity and drive to the side. Alexander Isak will lead the line for Newcastle United against Brighton, with Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Livramento, Burn, Kelly, Hall; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Gordon
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion will be without Matt O’Riley due to an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Joao Pedro has an ankle injury, James Milner has a thigh injury, and Adam Webster has a thigh problem as well.
The away side are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bart Verbruggen in goal. Joel Veltman and Pervis Estupinan will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things compact at the back and hit Newcastle on the counter. Jan Paul van Hecke will form the central defensive unit alongside Lewis Dunk.
Mats Wieffer and Carlos Baleba will start in the midfield double pivot. They will look to protect the defensive unit and break down opposition attacks. Georginio Rutter will start as the central attacking midfielder. He will look to link up with Danny Welbeck in the final third and create opportunities for his teammates. Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma will start on the flanks.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, van Hecke, Estupinan; Wieffer, Baleba; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck
Key Stats
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in Brighton & Hove’s last three games in the Premier League.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have conceded at least two goals in their last three matches in the Premier League.
- Brighton have scored at least two goals in their last three matches in the Premier League.
- Five of the last six matches between Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion have seen both teams score.
- 17 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
The Newcastle United striker has been in impressive form since joining the club, and the Magpies are overly dependent on him for goals and creativity. Isak is our key to watch out for, and he could cause all sorts of problems for a vulnerable Brighton defence. The Swedish international will look to create opportunities for his teammates with his pace, flair and technical ability. He will also look to add to his goal tally for the season.
Prediction
Newcastle United 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
This is likely to be a close contest, and it will be difficult to separate the two teams. Both teams are quite evenly matched, and they are likely to get on the score sheet. An open game is expected, but Newcastle United have the quality to grind out a positive result here. They have the better set of players and a narrow home win is on the cards.
