Newcastle United vs Brentford

Mid-table Brentford take a trip to St James’ Park to encounter Newcastle United in an exciting Premier League fixture.

Newcastle United took full advantage of Fulham’s early red card to sink them 4-1 at Craven Cottage last time out and arrest an underwhelming streak of six winless Premier League games (D5, L1). After reinforcing his side’s bid to claim their first top-half finish since 2017/17, manager Eddie Howe will be desperate to lead them to their first top-flight win over perennial Premier League tenants this term. There’s plenty of reason for optimism in the Tyneside camp, as the ‘Magpies’ have been unbeaten in 13 of their last 14 Premier League outings at St James’ Park (W8, D5), including three consecutive draws in the build-up to this trip. Another share of the spoils would see Newcastle play out for successive home league stalemates for the first time since 2005.

Regardless of the outcome, neutrals should be in for a treat, considering the five league showdowns between Newcastle and Brentford at St James’ Park have witnessed 24 goals scored at an average of 4.8 per game. By contrast, the visitors have drawn a blank in their last two Premier League matches (D1, L1) and could fail to get on the scoresheet in three consecutive league games for the first time since April 2019. On the bright side, a goalless draw at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium last time out ended Brentford’s disastrous 19-game away run without a clean sheet in the Premier League. Another shutout on Tyneside would see the ‘Bees’ go two successive top-flight travels without conceding for the first time since 1938. With a piece of history up for grabs, Thomas Frank’s men will be out to snap a frustrating six-game winless league run against Newcastle (D1, L5).