As Saturday approaches, Newcastle United prepares to take on West Ham United as they look to separate themselves from Manchester United in fourth place.
With a 10-9-1 record and a trip to the Carabao Cup Finals in front of them, this contest against West Ham may be overlooked, but it cannot be.
As the Premier League table currently stands, Newcastle United is in third place, keeping them tied with Manchester United at 39 points in fourth. Right behind them in fifth place is Tottenham with 36 and in sixth is Brighton with 31.
A full list of the 2022/2023 Premier League table can be found at https://www.premierleague.com/tables
The top of the table is crowded at the moment and Newcastle cannot afford to overlook West Ham in its coming contest.
Although West Ham may be 16th in the table, even a tie for the Magpies would jeopardize their third-place spot. Since the 2018-2019 season, the Magpies have taken down West Ham three times and tied them two times, having not lost a match to them which sets West Ham up with revenge on their mind.
They also have a lot to play for being two spots away from relegation and within three points of the bottom of the table. Through their last five contests, including the FA Cup, they have won three and tied and lost one. They’ve also given up just three goals in five contests, recording three clean sheets.
On the other side of things, Newcastle United has been unstoppable dropping just one game throughout the entire season in the Premier League. They also have tremendous confidence after punching a ticket to Wembley to take on Manchester United in the Carabao Cup Finals since taking down Southampton on Tuesday.
They also remain unbeaten at home in all competitions this season, even with injuries plaguing the team.
Player to Watch:
While there are numerous players on either side to look out for, one in specific for Newcastle stands out.
The Magpies will be without Bruno Guimaraes who will start his three-match ban against the Hammers, and also miss games versus Bournemouth and Liverpool.
With that being said, pay attention to the Academy graduate Elliot Anderson who will play in place of Bruno. Newcastle United Manager Eddie Howe has spoken very highly of him saying, “We have Elliot who we really like and we’d love to see how he develops his career”.
He has played in just three EFL Cup games and nine Premier League games with the Magpies. During the 2021-2022 season, he played in 21 contests for the Bristol Rovers and slotted in seven goals, and dished off six assists.
Expect to see him contribute from the moment he steps onto the field against West Ham.
Time of Match:
Saturday’s game kicks off at 5:30 P.M. in Newcastle
(To convert the game coverage time to a different timezone, a five-hour differential would be applied. For example game time in EST is set for 12:30 P.M.)
With Newcastle United red hot, and West Ham fighting for a spot outside of relegation, this contest is sure to be a competitive one.