Newcastle United: Flying High at Home
The Magpies, led by Eddie Howe, are enjoying a good run of form and are looking to record a third straight league win for the first time since September 2023. Wins against Chelsea in the league cup, Arsenal in the league and a comeback win at Nottingham Forest last time out mean the Geordie faithful are in good spirits.
Key players like Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimarães are expected to be pivotal, while England’s latest stars Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall are players coming back from the International break full of confidence. Although goals have been somewhat hard to come by this season for Newcastle, Alexander Isak is a man back in form. A strength of the team this season is the defence, going into the weekend, Newcastle had the 3rd best defensive record with only Liverpool and Nottingham Forest having conceded fewer goals in the league this season.
West Ham United: Battling for Consistency
Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham have been a mixed bag this season and currently sit 14th in the league. West Ham have shown flashes of brilliance when beating Manchester United and Ipswich in recent weeks but are struggling to maintain consistency. A lacklustre performance at Nottingham Forest saw many Hammers fans starting to question Lopetegui’s methods. On the plus side, West Ham do have weapons at their disposal, Jarrod Bowen’s pace and finishing ability, alongside Michail Antonio’s physicality, could pose problems for Newcastle’s defence that is still without the excellent Sven Botman. Lucas Paquetá creativity and technical ability suit Lopetegui’s midfield demands and he has become a central figure in orchestrating attacks. Fans making the long journey up North will be hoping for a positive performance from the Hammers that may well kick start their season.
Key Players
Newcastle’s Swedish sensation Alexander Isak is the teams main goal threat. A player in form, with 4 goals in his last 4 starts for the club, he will be looking to take aim at a team that has conceded 19 goals so far this season. Isak is being linked with moves to some of the biggest clubs in Europe, and West Ham may well understand why the likes of Arsenal and Real Madrid are keen on Newcastle’s number 14.
West Ham’s main threat will be in the form of Jarrod Bowen, another player brimming with confidence having scored his first international goal for England. Bowen has only scored twice for West Ham this season and will be up against two newly capped England fullbacks. Bowen has previously been linked with Newcastle and is a player admired by Eddie Howe. West Ham fans will be hoping his international goal last week can spark a run of form needed to help West Ham climb the table.
Predictions:
Alexander Isak to Score a Brace – 5/1
Jarrod Bowen to Score First – 11/1