Preview: Newcastle United vs Brighton & Hove Albion - prediction, team news, lineups

Bang in form visits bang out of form on Saturday afternoon, as Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United collide in the Premier League at St James' Park.

The Magpies' 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend marked their fifth loss in a row in all tournaments, while the Seagulls' 3-0 beating of Chelsea spelled the end of Liam Rosenior's Blues reign.

Match preview

The chance to secure mathematical Premier League safety passed Newcastle by at the Emirates Stadium, and Eddie Howe's men could still suffer an unthinkable relegation to the Championship in the gameweeks that remain.

The Magpies could arguably consider themselves unfortunate not to take anything away from their showdown with exhausted leaders Arsenal, but none of Howe's players could replicate the moment of magic that Eberechi Eze produced from a first-half short-corner routine.

Yoane Wissa blazing a close-range volley over the bar summed up not only Newcastle's day, but their past few weeks, as the hosts have now suffered four straight top-flight defeats to languish in 14th place in the Premier League table, eight points above the drop zone.

Only already-relegated Burnley and managerless Chelsea have also lost each of their last four in the top flight, and Newcastle are now at risk of suffering five straight Premier League defeats for the first time since takeover; they last endured that fate under Steve Bruce in January 2021.

The Magpies' failure to find the net at the Emirates also marked the end of their 18-match scoring run in all competitions, but entertainment is rarely in short supply at St James' Park, where both teams have scored in each of Newcastle's last eight fixtures.

Only one team found the back of the net at the Amex on April 21, though, and that team was high-flying Brighton, as Ferdi Kadioglu, Jack Hinshelwood and the evergreen Danny Welbeck boosted the Seagulls' Champions League chances at the expense of Chelsea's.

While the Blues board pulled the trigger on Rosenior, the Brighton hierarchy revelled in another Fabian Hurzeler masterclass, one which has kept the visitors in with the slimmest chance of sneaking into the top-five places.

The sixth-placed Seagulls sit eight points below Aston Villa and Liverpool with four games remaining, but on the other side of the coin, all of Everton, Bournemouth, Brentford, Chelsea and Fulham are within touching distance of Hurzeler's men.

However, 13 points from the last 15 on offer makes Brighton the most in-form team in the Premier League over the last five games, and the South Coast side also boast 10 points from their last four away matches, keeping clean sheets on three occasions.

Furthermore, October's 2-1 home win marked Brighton's sixth consecutive game without defeat against Newcastle, who have only beaten the Seagulls twice since both teams' ascent to the Premier League in 2017.

Newcastle United Premier League form:

Newcastle United form (all competitions):

Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:

Team News

The one pleasing aspect of last Saturday for Newcastle fans was Bruno Guimaraes coming through 75 minutes unscathed following his injury, and Howe will also welcome Joelinton back from a yellow-card ban for gameweek 35.

The hosting manager is optimistic that Anthony Gordon will return from a small groin problem too, but Fabian Schar (foot), Tino Livramento (groin) and Emil Krafth (knee) are still sidelined.

Howe's decision to demote Aaron Ramsdale for Nick Pope almost backfired spectacularly at the Emirates, where the latter escaped a red card for fouling Viktor Gyokeres close to the halfway line, so Ramsdale may be immediately reinstated here.

As for Brighton, Adam Webster, Stefanos Tzimas and Diego Gomez (all knee) will not be involved, while James Milner (unspecified) is also expected to miss out on a reunion with one of his former clubs.

Forgotten man Solly March (muscle) is the only Seagull who could return from the medical room for Saturday's game, but a start is out of the question for a player with just four senior minutes under his belt this season.

Mats Wieffer's half-time withdrawal vs. Chelsea raised eyebrows, but the Dutchman is not believed to have picked up an injury and should be retained over Joel Veltman this weekend.

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:

Ramsdale; Miley, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Barnes, Osula, Gordon

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:

Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu; Baleba, Gross; Minteh, Hinshelwood, Mitoma; Welbeck

We say: Newcastle United 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

Even against a regressing and fatigued Arsenal side, Newcastle's spirited display at the Emirates offers genuine hope for the remainder of the season, especially with Guimaraes back in the fold and Joelinton also returning.

However, victory over one of the most in-form teams in the division could still be a bridge too far, and a goal-happy Brighton can make the long journey worthwhile by claiming a point from an entertaining draw.

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