After dropping two points at home against Wolverhampton last weekend, Newcastle United need three points against West Ham to move away from the relegation zone.
For the second week in a row, Newcastle United were on track to claiming a positive result until they conceded a goal in the 73rd minute. The Magpies have been struggling to maintain consistency over the course of 90 minutes and they cannot afford to experience another tale of two halves this weekend.
Steve Bruce’s side need this win, not just to climb the table, but to build some momentum ahead of a winnable home game next weekend against Bournemouth. A win tomorrow and a win next weekend could see the Magpies go seven and eight points clear of Southampton and Norwich City, assuming they stay where they are.
West Ham struggle when it comes to maintaining consistency over the course of multiple games, but when they are clicking on all cylinders they can be very dangerous. Over the last four matches, though, West Ham’s record consists of two draws and two defeats.
📸 Take a look at the best images from today's training session as the squad prepare to face @WestHam in the @premierleague on Saturday afternoon.
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) October 31, 2019
View here: https://t.co/UbiaGeiHCE #NUFC pic.twitter.com/GfAvEaeqx4
As a result, I expect the Hammers to play with urgency and set the tone early on. Manuel Pellegrini is surely aware of the fact that if his squad loses tomorrow, and Aston Villa, Brighton, Burnley, Wolves and Tottenham all handle business this weekend, his team could fall five places (15th) in the table.
It is difficult to predict the outcome of this match because we don’t know which version of either team we will see. Players like Allan Saint-Maximin and Jamaal Lascelles will need to be close to perfect for Newcastle United to stand a chance, and Felipe Anderson and Sebastien Haller cannot afford to waste golden scoring opportunities for West Ham United.
Predictions in the Media
Pundits across England’s mainstream media outlets are predicting a close battle on Saturday, but they do not think Newcastle United will has enough firepower to edge West Ham United on the road.
Mark Lawrenson (BBC) – West Ham United 2-1 Newcastle United
Charlie Nicholas (Sky Sports): West Ham United 2-1 Newcastle United
Newcastle Toons Predictions
Last weekend, Carson and I both predicted victories for Newcastle United, but the team ended up drawing 1-1, so we didn’t jinx the result too bad. This weekend, Carson remains confident, whereas I think I will tone it down a bit and predict a draw in London.
Carson Merk: West Ham United 1-2 Newcastle United
Durim Halimi: West Ham United 1-1 Newcastle United