Preview: Newcastle United vs Brentford - prediction, team news, lineups

Fresh from their EFL Cup semi-final elimination in midweek, Newcastle United return to Premier League action on Saturday evening when they play host to Brentford at St James’ Park.

The Magpies and the Bees meet for the first time since the beginning of November when the latter claimed a 3-1 victory over the former at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Match preview

Newcastle’s bid to retain the EFL Cup this season came to an end in convincing fashion on Wednesday night when they suffered a 3-1 second-leg defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, losing 5-1 on aggregate.

Conceding three goals in the opening 32 minutes at a stadium where they had previously lost 17 of their last 18 visits was not what head coach Eddie Howe had hoped for, and the Magpies boss has looked back on the two-legged tie with ‘frustration’ after his side missed a host of goalscoring opportunities.

Newcastle are now without a win in their last four matches across all competitions (D1 L3), including a disappointing 4-1 Premier League defeat against Liverpool at Anfield last weekend. With a record of nine wins, six draws and nine defeats, scoring and conceding 33 goals each, the Magpies sit 11th in the table and six points behind the top six with 14 games left to play.

After playing their last three games on the road, Howe’s side will welcome Saturday’s return to St James’ Park where they have picked up 69.7% of their Premier League points this season, though they did lose 2-0 to Aston Villa in their most recent home match at the end of January.

Newcastle can take comfort from the fact that they have won nine of their last 10 home encounters with Brentford across all competitions (D1) - scoring two or more goals on eight of those occasions - since losing their first ever meeting with the Bees back in September 1934 (5-2).

After suffering back-to-back 2-0 defeats against Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, Brentford surprised many when they secured a slender 1-0 victory at Aston Villa last weekend, despite playing for more than 45 minutes with only 10 men following Kevin Schade’s straight red card.

Across the last eight Premier League gameweeks, only table-toppers Arsenal (17) have collected more points than the Bees (16), with Keith Andrews’s men also having the joint-best defensive record in that period (seven goals conceded).

Tipped by many to be involved in a relegation battle this season, Brentford currently sit seventh in the Premier League table and are eyeing up European qualification for the first time in their history, as they are only three points behind the top six and just five points behind Man United in fourth spot.

Brentford head into Saturday’s clash with Newcastle having won two of their last three league meetings with Newcastle (L1), and after winning the reverse fixture 3-1 earlier this season, they are looking to complete their second ever league double over the Magpies, previously doing so back in 1934-35 when they were in the second tier.

However, London-based clubs have only won four of their 29 Premier League visits to Newcastle since Howe took charge in November 2021 (D5 L20). Since Howe’s first match - at home against Brentford - the Magpies have recorded more top-flight home wins against London sides than anyone else (20), so Brentford face a tough task to claim maximum points this weekend.

Newcastle United Premier League form:

Newcastle United form (all competitions):

Brentford Premier League form:

Brentford form (all competitions):

Team News

Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon is a major doubt with a hamstring injury sustained in midweek, while Bruno Guimaraes and Lewis Miley will have ankle problems assessed ahead of kickoff after missing the loss to Man City. Joelinton (groin), Tino Livramento (hamstring), Fabian Schar (ankle) and Emil Krafth (knee) all remain sidelined.

If Guimaraes and Miley are not fit to return, then Sandro Tonali could be joined in a three-man midfield by Jacob Ramsey and Joe Willock, while Howe will weigh up whether to start Nick Woltemade or former Brentford striker Yoane Wissa - a £55m summer arrival - as the central striker.

Anthony Elanga scored has first Newcastle goal at the 32nd time of asking in midweek and he will hope to force his way back into the first XI on the right flank, while Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes are also competition for a start out wide.

As for Brentford, Fabio Carvalho, Antoni Milambo and Josh Dasilva all remain long-term absences with knee injuries, while key attacker Schade is suspended after being sent off for a stamp in the win at Aston Villa.

Mikkel Damsgaard recovered from a minor knee issue to watch on as an unused substitute against Villa, and he is set to battle with Keane Lewis-Potter for a start in the final third against Newcastle in the absence of Schade.

Top scorer Igor Thiago netted two of his 16 PL goals in the 3-1 win against Newcastle earlier this season and he is expected to lead the line once again, while Dango Ouattara scored the only goal away against Villa last time out, and the winger - set to make his 100th PL appearance on the right flank - will be looking to net in consecutive games for the first time.

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:

Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn; Willock, Tonali, Ramsey; Elanga, Wissa, Barnes

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Kelleher; Kayode, Van den Berg, Collins, Henry; Yarmoliuk, Henderson, Jensen; Ouattara, Thiago, Lewis-Potter

We say: Newcastle United 1-2 Brentford

Goals are to be expected this weekend as an average of 4.1 goals per game have been scored in Premier League encounters between Brentford and Newcastle (37 goals in nine matches) - the highest ratio of any fixture to have been played as many times in the division.

Considering the Magpies' recent dip in form and the potential absence of key duo Guimaraes and Gordon, we are backing the high-flying Bees to pull off an upset and claim all three points at St James’ Park.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.