Newcastle United looks to climb Premier League table on Saturday

After tieing West Ham United last Saturday, 1-1, Newcastle United now prepares for Bournemouth this coming Saturday, Feb. 11.

With recent struggles finding the back of the net plaguing Newcastle, the critical focus against the 19th-ranked team needs to be scoring the ball.

Bournemouth has allowed 43 goals on the season, while just scoring 29 which attributes to a -24 goal differential. This matchup gives Newcastle the best opportunity to grow their attacking power and prepare for the season’s final half.

Those 43 goals allowed, are the highest amount in the Premier League this season. The next closest is Southampton’s 38, who sit 20th in the league table.

Newcastle should have little to issue scoring the ball, and this contest will be significant in showcasing that they are one of the top teams in the league.

Going into Saturday’s contest, Newcastle United has won two, tied two, and lost one in the last five appearances on the road against Bournemouth.

What should you expect on Saturday?

Newcastle United should easily be able to pull off a win on Saturday. A win will be crucial for the team after just tieing West Ham last weekend, which knocked them down a spot in the Premier League table.

Struggling against the 19th-ranked team in the table will only hinder confidence for a team with plenty of doubters this season.

A 2-0 win, or a 3-1 win seems to be the most likely outcome. Newcastle United has allowed the least amount of goals in the Premier League all season, and anything more than one goal given up would be shocking.

My picks to score tomorrow are forward Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron. However, if the newly added 21-year-old Anthony Gordon gets his first opportunity to start for the Magpies, a goal from him seems to fit an already blooming storyline.

Starting goalkeeper Nick Pope will continue to shine, and I expect a shutout from him.

With the team not losing a game in over 16 Premier League contests, I would not expect a loss to come this weekend.

What would a win do for Newcastle?

If they are able to pull off a victory against Bournemouth, which is expected, Newcastle United will move back to the No. 3 spot in the league table. The reason for this stems from Manchester United tieing Leeds on Wednesday, and the goal differential favors the Magpies.

Although the team has struggled to score, they’ve had no issues in allowing goals, and that has proven to be an essential piece of their game for quite some time now.

The win would slide the team up to 3rd with 43 total points on the season, two points back from Manchester City in 2nd place, who have found themselves in a bad light recently, and seven points back from Arsenal in first.

A win would also put them with three wins and two draws in their last five Premier League contests heading into a big contest against Liverpool next weekend.

Who is the player to watch?

Last week, Elliot Anderson was the player to watch due to Bruno Guimaraes being suspended for three games. Unfortunately, he did not receive much playing time from Eddie Howe.

This week, the player to watch will most certainly be Anthony Gordon. Whether or not he is in the starting lineup Howe will look to continue to give him the opportunity to work his way into an important role.

I would expect to see a goal from Gordon this weekend, although it may be early in his time with the Magpies, against a struggling team like Bournemouth it may be his biggest chance to find momentum and confidence.

He left Everton after scoring three goals this season, and with a handful of weapons now up top for Newcastle, he may be able to find some one-on-one opportunities to make defenses pay.

Newcastle United takes on Bournemouth Saturday, Feb. 11, at 12:30 P.M. EST and 5:30 P.M. GMT.

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