Hoping to win three straight Premier League games for the first time in over 12 months, Newcastle United host a troubled West Ham United at St James' Park in Monday's Premier League offering.
The Magpies bested high-flying Nottingham Forest 3-1 prior to the international break, while the Irons' goalless draw with Everton was best consigned to the history books.
Match preview
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Fearing no foe after conquering Chelsea (in the EFL Cup) and Arsenal (in the Premier League) at their St James' Park base without conceding, Newcastle stuck to their game plan after Murillo drew first blood for surprise package Forest at the City Ground two weekends ago.
For all of the Garibaldi's exceptional defensive work in 2024-25, their rearguard nous failed them against Eddie Howe's never-say-die troops, who turned the tide in their favour thanks to second-half efforts from Alexander Isak, Joelinton and Harvey Barnes to enhance their European credentials.
One of three teams starting the weekend on 18 points - alongside Aston Villa and Fulham, whom they are sandwiched in between - Howe's men are sitting pretty in ninth place in the Premier League table, and only four points separate them from Chelsea in the bronze medal position.
Results on Saturday bumped the Magpies down one place in the standings, but Monday's hosts can only concern themselves with what is in their control as they eye three consecutive Premier League triumphs for the first time since September 2023.
Since that trio of successes 14 months ago, though, Newcastle have won back-to-back games six times in the Premier League before failing to prevail in their third game in that sequence, but a run of just one loss from 15 home games in all tournaments offers optimism that West Ham will not be blowing celebratory bubbles on Monday.
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Whether West Ham's drab draw with Everton was a point gained or a point lost may still be up for debate, but it will almost certainly feel like the latter for Julen Lopetegui and co after Jordan Pickford's wonder save from Danny Ings right at the death.
That intervention from the England number one was one of the few highlights of an otherwise forgettable affair at the London Stadium, albeit one that extended West Ham's unbeaten home run to three matches following successes against Ipswich Town and Manchester United in October.
West Ham no doubt have their home form to thank for their relative safety - they occupy 14th place in the standings with a four-point buffer over Crystal Palace in the relegation zone - but the less said about their recent exploits on the road, the better.
Indeed, the under-pressure Lopetegui has seen his side fall to defeat in three of their last four matches on rival turf, shipping a combined seven goals in their last two losses to Tottenham Hotspur and Forest, and their only win from their last eight Premier League away games came at lowly Palace in October.
West Ham were also on the wrong end of an outrageous Newcastle comeback in a 4-3 St James' Park spectacular back in March, which extended their winless sequence against the Magpies to five matches since an equally enthralling 4-2 triumph in the North East in August 2021.
Team News
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With just seven minutes played in Newcastle's win over Forest, towering defender Dan Burn collected his fifth yellow card of the campaign, meaning that Howe must make do without the suspended 32-year-old on Monday night.
Lloyd Kelly should be called upon to deputise for Burn, who joins Jamaal Lascelles (knee), Sven Botman (knee) and Emil Krafth (collarbone) on the sidelines, while Callum Wilson (back) and Kieran Trippier (thigh) are both on the touch-and-go list.
Trippier has a slightly better chance of making the cut, but the experienced full-back should not displace Tino Livramento, fresh from winning his first senior England cap in the 5-0 thumping of the Republic of Ireland.
Burn is not the only player to sit on the St James' Park naughty step - Mohammed Kudus serves the penultimate game of his extended five-match suspension - but Lopetegui can now recall Edson Alvarez following his own ban.
German striker Niclas Fullkrug remains out on account of his Achilles issue, and Lopetegui also revealed in his pre-match press conference that two players have a "little problem" without naming names.
Whether Alphonse Areola displaces Lukasz Fabianski in goal remains to be seen - the Frenchman missed the stalemate with Everton due to a small knock - and Crysencio Summerville should benefit from Kudus's suspension to start on the left-hand side.
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Pope; Livramento, Schar, Kelly, Hall; Willock, Guimaraes, Longstaff; Gordon, Isak, Joelinton
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Alvarez; Bowen, Paqueta, Soucek, Summerville; Antonio
We say: Newcastle United 2-0 West Ham United
The last seven matches between Newcastle and West Ham have produced a staggering 32 goals at a rate of over four per game, and not since 2013 has there been a goalless draw in this battle, so a repeat of the Irons' dull affair with Everton is surely out of the question.
However, Lopetegui's side will have their work cut out to breach a Newcastle defence that has shipped just one goal in their last four home games, and we have complete faith in Howe's in-form charges to pick up where they left off before the international break.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
