Tactical Preview: How can Newcastle United defeat Brighton?

Today Newcastle faces a tricky yet enticing encounter with Brighton, with both teams chasing
coveted points to secure European football for next season.

Arguably, along with Arsenal and Manchester City, Newcastle and Brighton have been some of the best teams to watch in footballing and entertainment terms.

Eddie Howe has introduced a highly energetic pressing 4-3-3 that has got the best out of his talented forwards Wilson and Isak seeing them score a combined 27 goals, the most since the 2011/12 season when Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse notched up 29 goals between them.

Similarly, Newcastle faces an extremely tough test in the visit from Brighton, the Seagull’s Italian coach Roberto Di Zerbi has got them playing some of the most exciting attacking football in the league, focusing on a possession yet pressing based 4-3-3, the system has reaped huge benefits seeing team beat top six contenders while scoring 12 goals in their last 5 games.

Newcastle and Brighton’s last run of games has had mixed results for them. Both teams come to face this potential European decider on the back of contrasting form, Newcastle were left disappointed as they dropped points to draw with relegation-threatened Leeds, while Brighton stunned the Gunners at the Emirates beating them 3-0.

It must be said that Brighton come to St James’s Park in scintillating form whilst Newcastle’s performances have been patchy in their last three.

This leads to the question: how might Howe mastermind a victory over Brighton, especially given the magnitude of the game?

Tactically, both teams are likely to face up similarly with Newcastle sticking with their high energy pressing 4-3-3, likewise with Brighton playing their structured possession-pressing based 4-3-3, with their dangerous wide forwards Mitoma and Encisco.

These are our predicted starting 11s for the fixture below:

Newcastle United:

• Offense: ST Isak, LW Saint-Maximin, RW Almiron
• Midfield: CM Joelinton, CM Willock, CDM Guimaraes
• Defense: LB Burn, CB Botman, CB Schar, RB Trippier
• Goalkeeper: Pope

Brighton:

• Offense: ST Undav, LW Mitoma, RW Encisco
• Midfield: LM Estupinan, CM Mac Allister, CM Gilmour, RM Caicedo
• Defense: CB Colwill, CB Dunk, CB Webster
• Goalkeeper: Steele

Shaun Dyche with Everton seems to have provided a tactical blueprint to beat Brighton, which Eddie Howe might take inspiration from.

During Everton’s victory over Brighton, Everton defended narrowly in a very compact formation, allowing Brighton to keep the ball.

This meant that Brighton was very deep in the Everton half, allowing Everton to intercept the ball when necessary, in their half, and instead of looking for ways to pass past Brighton, they exploited space behind with the advantage they had which was their pace. This was used to devastating effect against the Seagulls, and the Toffees ran out 5-1 winners.

This is why Newcastle will likely start the game with a pacier and fluid front three to stretch Brighton’s defense and exploit space in behind, and this could certainly be the case with the trio of Isak, Almiron and Saint-Maximin, who are all pacey, and can interchange positions to unsettle Brighton’s defense.

Newcastle is unlikely to do what Everton did and sit back completely, this has never been the way Howe wants to play.

However, Brighton is expected to have the majority of the ball, considering they have averaged almost 61% possession every game, only second behind Manchester City with 64%.

Again, Newcastle will look to counter this by using pace to exploit space left by Brighton’s industrious fullbacks such as Estupinan.

This is why the midfield battle will be important, and why the trio of Guimares, Joelinton and Willock will need to be on their A-Game to nullify the creative influences of Mac Allister, Gilmour, Gross and Caicedo.

If Newcastle can stop the Brighton midfield and the free role that Caicedo, has and prevent him from receiving the ball then they can win this match.

Similarly, if Newcastle can thwart the Seagull’s captain Lewis Dunk, then this would also be to their advantage.

Dunk has completed a staggering 3,009 passes this season, the most in the league, likely Howe will have a plan to unsettle Brighton’s captain by limiting the time he has on the ball in possession, with Isak and Almiron Newcastle having great pressing intensity which will be key to stopping Dunk.

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The importance of the Toon faithful inside St James’ Park for this match has been emphasized by the Newcastle manager, but also by Newcastle co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi on Twitter calling for Newcastle fans to wave their scarves and to “…roar like lions you are the 12 men,” showing that even the owners are aware of the potential gravity of the game in Newcastle’s pursuit of Champion’s League Football.