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Newcastle United will host West Ham United at St James’ Park on Monday in a Premier League matchup.
Newcastle is coming off a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest in their previous match. They controlled 56% of possession and had 17 shots on goal, with 6 on target. Alexander Isak, Joelinton, and Harvey Barnes scored for the Magpies, while Forest’s Murillo netted the lone goal for his team. Newcastle’s defense has been solid recently, conceding only 4 goals in their last six matches. They have also been unbeaten in their last five league encounters against West Ham.
West Ham, on the other hand, played to a 0-0 draw with Everton in their last match. They had 49% possession and 11 shots on goal, 6 of which were on target. However, their defense has been vulnerable, allowing 10 goals in their last six games. West Ham has also struggled on the road, failing to win their last four away matches in the league.
In their recent head-to-head matchups, Newcastle has won 2 of the last 5 meetings, while West Ham has won once, and 3 games have ended in draws. These encounters have often been high-scoring, with a total of 27 goals across the five matches, averaging 4.5 goals per game. The last meeting in March 2024 ended with a thrilling 4-3 victory for Newcastle.
For Newcastle, manager Eddie Howe will be without Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson, Sven Botman, and Emil Krafth due to injuries. Newcastle is expected to play in a 4-3-3 formation, with players like Nick Pope, Fabian Schär, Bruno Guimarães, Alexander Isak, and Joelinton likely to start.
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has a near full-strength squad, with the exception of Niclas Füllkrug, who is sidelined with an Achilles issue. West Ham is expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, featuring Lukasz Fabianski, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Michail Antonio among others.
Prediction
The match is expected to be challenging for West Ham, as Newcastle’s strong offense and solid defense make them the favorites. A 3-0 victory for Newcastle is predicted, with experts also forecasting under 3.5 goals in the game.
