Newcastle United Match Preview

In the 2021/22 season, West Ham United’s longest trip of the campaign to Newcastle was first up on the fixture list. However, this time around, the Premier League have determined that the journey to St James’ Park will be the last for the Hammers this afternoon.

The team return to the North-East for the first time since the opening day and will certainly be looking to better their result against newly-promoted Sunderland, where Graham Potter saw his side lose 3-0 at the Stadium of Light.

Having suffered back-to-back defeats and not secured a victory on the road since the 1-0 win at Fulham back on 4 March, current Head-Coach Nuno Espírito Santo will hope to clinch his fourth away success since succeeding Potter back on 27 September.

The East Londoners turned the form book on its head in this fixture last season, as another former Head-Coach, Julen Lopetegui masterminded a 2-0 win. Not only that, but they can achieve the double over Eddie Howe’s men, due to the fact that Espírito Santo steered the Irons to a first home win of the season in the reverse fixture back on 2 November.

Following their Emirates FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Leeds United on penalties back on 5 April, the team went through the rest of the month unbeaten and just like there was then, there is no room for error here as they look to bounce out of the relegation zone at least until Tuesday night when Tottenham Hotspur travel to Stamford Bridge and face Chelsea.

It has to be said that the form of the Magpies has dipped since early March so the visitors might just get the result they are hoping for, given that neither side has an advantage in terms of preparation ahead of this encounter after both were last in action a week ago.

Unfortunately, Adama Traoré hasn’t yet recovered from the muscular problem that kept him out of the 1-0 home defeat by Arsenal last weekend. If Espírito Santo decides to make further changes however, then he may recall Kyle Walker-Peters to the starting line-up in place of Jean-Clair Todibo. Callum Wilson may be preferred to Pablo Felipe against his former club.

The match is a 5:30pm kick-off and live coverage is being screened by Sky Sports from 5pm. The referee is Jarred Gillett.