Newcastle United head into their Premier League encounter with Brighton & Hove Albion having begun the campaign with a 2-0 victory at West Ham United.
Meanwhile, the Seagulls make the long trip to St James' Park this weekend on the back of a 3-1 defeat at home to big-spending Chelsea.
Match preview
© Reuters
Amid speculation regarding his position at Newcastle over the past six months, Steve Bruce will be delighted with two wins and clean sheets to begin the season.
While a much-changed team against Blackburn Rovers struggled to replicate the levels produced versus West Ham United in the Premier League, Bruce now has depth to his squad.
That was lacking at times during the last campaign, but only the most pessimistic of Newcastle supporters will be disappointed with the last few weeks of activity at St James' Park.
Although that has inevitably led to expectation levels being raised, Bruce knows that comes hand in hand with this job, and their upcoming fixtures represent a real chance for him to make further headway in winning over a demanding fanbase.
However, Newcastle may find themselves having to work harder in order to keep a third successive shutout this weekend against opponents who also seem to be heading in the right direction.
Despite losing out against Chelsea on Monday night, there was an element of fortune about how the Blues prevailed at the Amex Stadium, something which will not be lost on Graham Potter.
The Seagulls boss watched his side pose a frequent threat, and the ruthlessness which they failed to produce against Chelsea was on show in the EFL Cup versus Portsmouth.
While Potter made wholesale changes, the four-goal haul highlighted that he will have reason to drop any of his star men if they do not raise their game.
Argentine prospect Alexis Mac Allister recorded his first goal for the South Coast outfit in the game with Pompey, a contribution which Potter expects to be the first of many from the 21-year-old this season.
Newcastle United Premier League form: W
Newcastle United form (all competitions): WW
Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form: L
Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions): LW
Team News
© Reuters
Providing that Allan Saint-Maximin passes a late fitness test, Newcastle could stick with the same XI from the West Ham United game.
That would see Andy Carroll continue his partnership with Callum Wilson after the pair impressed during the encounter with the Hammers.
Despite his goal in midweek, Ryan Fraser is expected to remain among the replacements.
Brighton boss Potter will wait until the outcome of Ben White's fitness test before making a decision on his formation.
If the defender is unavailable, a back four is likely, with Dan Burn coming into the team at left-back.
While Adam Lallana is expected to feature in the squad after a minor calf problem, the playmaker may have to make do with a spot on the substitutes' bench.
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Darlow; Manquillo, Lascelles, Fernandez, Lewis; Hendrick, Shelvey, Hayden, Saint-Maximin; Wilson, Carroll
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Ryan; Lamptey, Webster, Dunk, Burn; Propper, Stephens, Bissouma; Gross, Trossard; Maupay
We say: Newcastle United 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Although the form book points to the Magpies registering a third straight win in just over a week, we fancy Brighton to respond to their opening setback. Potter's style of play may be more suited to away matches, and the visitors have enough quality in their side to edge out their in-form hosts.
Video prediction
Watch the Sports Mole Football Shorts prediction for this game below:
Darren Plant
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Newcastle United win with a probability of 37.1%. A win for Brighton & Hove Albion had a probability of 35.66% and a draw had a probability of 27.2%.
The most likely scoreline for a Newcastle United win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.61%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.05%) and 2-0 (6.62%). The likeliest Brighton & Hove Albion win was 0-1 (10.36%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.91%). The actual scoreline of 0-3 was predicted with a 2.6% likelihood.
