Newcastle vs Brentford predictions: Toon to win Champions League tune-up
- Newcastle have won 11 and lost only three of last 18 home league games
- Both teams have scored in three of Newcastle's four league matches this term
- Recommended bet: Newcastle Win and Both to Score
Newcastle will be desperate to end their three-game losing streak when they host Brentford in the Premier League's late game on Saturday evening.
Magpies boss Eddie Howe made sure his message ahead of an exciting week, where his side will also take on AC Milan in the Champions League, was to remain focused on beating Brentford.
Newcastle were given a lesson in finishing by Brighton last time out and can consider themselves unlucky to have lost at home to Liverpool in a game they shaded the week before.
Brentford arrive on Tyneside in confident mood after remaining unbeaten through their opening four fixtures, although Thomas Fank has warned his players to expect a tough assignment.
Team news
Howe is expected to make some changes in a bid to arrest Newcastle's losing run, although one could be enforced with Sandro Tonali struggling to make it due to a thigh injury that came to light while he was away on international duty with Italy.
Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento are pushing hard to replace Kieran Trippier and Matt Targett in the full-back roles while Sven Botman could return from injury after training this week.
Harvey Barnes will hope to force his way into the line-up and Callum Wilson could start in attack after scoring the Magpies' late consolation at Brighton last time out, replacing Alexander Isak.
Howe is hopeful Elliot Anderson will be fit, but Joe Willock and Emil Krafth are still out.
As for Brentford, Thomas Frank could involve on-loan Everton forward Neal Maupay for the first time since he returned to the club on transfer deadline day.
Frank is unlikely to break up the strike partnership of Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo, however, and could name a very similar line-up to the one that fought out a 2-2 home draw with Bournemouth last time out.
Mikkel Damsgaard is due to be assessed after missing the last two games through injury, but Josh Dasilva and Shandon Baptiste remain long-term absentees.
The stats
Newcastle won both Premier League games against the Bees last season, thrashing Frank's men 5-1 at St James' Park in October before coming from behind to win 2-1 in London later in the campaign
But Brentford's recent away record is very solid, with the Londoners only beaten once in their past 11 Premier League road trips (W6 D4) — a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool in May.
While the Bees will be bidding to win three away games in a row for the first time in the top flight, the minimum requirement for Newcastle will be to ensure that they do not lose, having not lost four in a row since January 2021 under Steve Bruce.
Prediction
Brentford have the better form this season, but Newcastle have the edge in terms of quality and should be highly motivated to get back to winning ways before they embark on their first Champions League campaign in two decades.
The Magpies have had a tough run of fixtures to start the campaign and Howe's decision to stand by his stars from last season instead of making changes did not pay off, although that may stop here.
The Bees, who have dropped the most points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, may not be able to live with Newcastle's intensity and the hosts' excellent record at St James' Park over the last 18 months suggests a home win will be the outcome.
But with the lively Mbeumo, Wissa and Kevin Schade in their ranks, plus Maupay to potentially come off the bench, Brentford have enough of an attacking threat to ensure Howe's search for a first clean sheet of the campaign does not end here.
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