Newcastle United will host Brighton & Hove Albion at St. James’ Park in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday, and a spot in the quarter-finals will be up for grabs.
Newcastle United have been quite inconsistent in their recent matches, and they have lost three of their last six outings in all competitions ahead of the game vs Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup fifth round.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion have been excellent in recent weeks, and they are on a four match winning run. They will look to continue their impressive run of form and grind out a positive result here. The Seagulls have managed to pick up two wins over Chelsea in their last four outings, and they will certainly fancy their chances against Newcastle.
Matches between these two sides are quite evenly matched, and this one is likely to be another close contest. Newcastle United will have to raise their performance levels to grind out of victory here.
The last time these two sides met in October, Brighton & Hove Albion picked up a 1-0 win over Newcastle United away from home, and they will be hoping for a similar result here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Newcastle United will be without Jamaal Lascelles due to a knee 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. Sven Botman will form the central defensive partnership alongside Fabian Schar.
Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Sean Longstaff will start in the middle of the park. Tonali and Longstaff will look to win the ball back for their side and break up opposition attacks, while Guimaraes will add creativity and drive to the side.
Alexander Isak will lead the line for Newcastle United vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, with Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Livramento, Botman, Schar, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Longstaff; Murphy, Isak, Gordon
Brighton & Hove Albion
The away side will be without James Milner due to a thigh injury, Igor Julio due to a hamstring complaint, Jason Steele due to a shoulder injury, Lewis Dunk due to a chest problem, Joel Veltman due to an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Carl Rushworth is ineligible and Ferdi Kadioglu is out through an ankle issue.
Brighton & Hove Albion will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Newcastle United, with Bart Verbruggen in goal. Tariq Lamptey and Pervis Estupinan will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Jan Paul van Hecke will start at the heart of the defence alongside Adam Webster.
As for the midfield unit, Yasin Ayari and Carlos Baleba will start in the double pivot, and they will look to win the ball back for their side and break down the opposition’s attacking moves.
Georginio Rutter will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. Simon Adingra and Kaoru Mitoma will start in the wide areas, with Joao Pedro leading the line for Brighton & Hove Albion vs Newcastle United on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Lamptey, van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan; Baleba, Ayari; Adingra, Rutter, Mitoma; Pedro
Key Stats
- 15 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion.
- Both teams have won two each out of the last six meetings between Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion.
- Newcastle United have won three of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have won four of their last six matches in all competitions.
- William Osula averages a goal or assist every 48 minutes in the FA Cup, scoring seven and assisting three across seven appearances in the competition (480 minutes).
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
The Swedish international missed the game against Liverpool with a knock, but he is expected to return to action for Newcastle United vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. Callum Wilson was quite underwhelming against Liverpool, and the return of Isak is likely to make a big difference for Newcastle United.
The Swede is our key player to watch out for, and he will look to make a telling contribution in the final third. He will look to find the back of the net and create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Prediction
Newcastle United 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this is likely to be a close contest. The two teams are quite evenly matched, and it will be difficult to separate them. Neither side are defensive in their approach, and they will look to score goals here.
An open game is expected, and there will be a fair few chances for either side. Both teams are likely to get on the scoresheet. However, Newcastle United have more quality in the final third, and they are likely to grind out a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Eddie Howe and his charges.
