Two in-form teams lock horns on Sunday afternoon when West Ham United host Newcastle United at London Stadium.
West Ham set a new record for English sides competing in European competition on Thursday, beating Freiburg 2-1 to extend their unbeaten streak to 17 games. Lucas Paqueta and Nayef Aguerd were the goalscorers, with the result continuing the momentum of last week’s win over Sheffield United in the Premier League.
Newcastle are also in a purple patch and ripped Paris Saint-Germain apart in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Tyneside was rocking as Eddie Howe’s players emerged 4-1 winners – a result many consider to be one of the greatest in the club’s history.
With just a few days rest, the pair, who sit seventh and eight in the table, now do battle looking to keep within touching distance of the top four.
Here’s 90min’s preview of the game.
West Ham vs Newcastle H2H record (last five games)
Current form (all competitions)
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Country |
TV channel / Broadcaster |
|---|---|
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United Kingdom |
Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League, Ultra HDR |
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United States |
USA Network, Universo, Fubo, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue |
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Canada |
fuboTV Canada |
West Ham are sweating over the fitness of Michail Antonio, who hasn’t trained after missing the 2-1 Europa League win over Freiburg on Thursday night. Jarrod Bowen led the line in that game and could do so again with Danny Ings short of goals, offering Mohammed Kudus a potential first start in the Premier League.
Aaron Cresswell is out with a hamstring injury but David Moyes should otherwise have a full-strength squad to choose from.
West Ham predicted lineup (4-1-4-1): Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson; Alvarez; Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Kudus, Paqueta; Bowen
Newcastle are without the suspended Anthony Gordon after he picked up a fifth booking of the season in last weekend’s 2-0 win over Burnley.
Sven Botman again misses out with a knee injury, leaving Jamaal Lascelles, who has impressed since coming back into the side, to slot in alongside Fabian Schar in central defence.
Joe Willock, Joelinton and Harvey Barnes are also injured, and Callum Wilson may not make it either – his hamstring problem potentially a huge relief to West Ham given his scoring record in this fixture.
Newcastle predicted lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Lascelles, Schar, Burn; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Tonali; Almiron, Isak, Murphy
With both clubs prospering in Europe and doing well in the Premier League also, Sunday’s fixture looks finely balanced between two sides with completely contrasting styles of play.
West Ham tend to sit back and absorb pressure, hitting teams on the counter, but they have shown how good they can be when pressing high up the pitch to win back possession. In Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, they have potential match-winning quality, which is supplemented by the quality of James Ward-Prowse.
Newcastle are electrifying to watch at times, and they tore Paris Saint-Germain apart in midweek in front of a partisan crowd at St James’ Park. Injuries are an issue for Eddie Howe’s side, but they still possess plenty of quality and should dominate possession.
With Alexander Isak firing up top, it may come down to who is more clinical in front of goal – something Newcastle have proven to be of late after scoring eight against Sheffield United away from home.
Prediction: West Ham 1-2 Newcastle
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