Newcastle vs Brighton – News and Probable Lineups

In a matchup of contrasting forms, Brighton & Hove Albion will face Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League at St James’ Park.

Newcastle experienced a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend, marking their fifth consecutive loss across all competitions, while Brighton’s 3-0 victory over Chelsea ended Liam Rosenior’s reign at Stamford Bridge.

Match overview

The opportunity for Newcastle to secure guaranteed Premier League survival slipped away at the Emirates Stadium, and Eddie Howe’s side could still face an improbable relegation to the Championship in the remaining weeks of the season.

While Newcastle could feel hard done by not to have secured at least a point against a fatigued Arsenal side, none of Howe’s players could emulate the brilliance of Eberechi Eze’s first-half corner routine.

Yoane Wissa firing a volley from close range over the bar epitomized not just Newcastle’s day but their recent weeks, as they have suffered four straight top-flight losses, now sitting in 14th place in the Premier League, eight points above the relegation zone.

Only Burnley, who have been relegated, and managerless Chelsea have also lost four in a row in the league, and Newcastle risk facing five successive Premier League losses for the first time since the takeover, with their last experience of this under Steve Bruce occurring in January 2021.

The Magpies’ inability to find the net at the Emirates also ended their 18-match scoring streak in all competitions, but entertainment is typically abundant at St James’ Park, where both teams have scored in each of Newcastle’s last eight matches.

Only one team managed to score at the Amex Stadium on April 21, and that was a soaring Brighton, with Ferdi Kadioglu, Jack Hinshelwood, and the ageless Danny Welbeck enhancing the Seagulls’ Champions League prospects at Chelsea’s expense.

While Chelsea’s board acted swiftly with Rosenior’s dismissal, Brighton’s management celebrated another masterclass from Fabian Hurzeler, which has kept their hopes of sneaking into the top-five alive.

Currently sixth, Brighton is eight points adrift of Aston Villa and Liverpool with four matches left, but several teams including Everton, Bournemouth, Brentford, Chelsea, and Fulham are closely behind Hurzeler’s squad.

However, with 13 points gained from the last 15 available, Brighton has proven to be the most on-form team in the Premier League over the past five games, and they also have secured 10 points from their last four away encounters, achieving clean sheets in three of those.

Moreover, their 2-1 victory at home in October was Brighton’s sixth consecutive match without defeat against Newcastle, who have only claimed victory against the Seagulls twice since both teams entered the Premier League in 2017.

Team News

On a positive note for Newcastle supporters, Bruno Guimaraes completed 75 minutes unscathed after his injury, and Howe will also have Joelinton back following a yellow-card suspension for gameweek 35.

The head coach is hopeful that Anthony Gordon will recover from a minor groin issue as well, but Fabian Schar (foot), Tino Livramento (groin), and Emil Krafth (knee) remain unavailable.

Howe’s choice to replace Aaron Ramsdale with Nick Pope nearly went wrong at the Emirates, where the latter narrowly avoided a red card after fouling Viktor Gyokeres near the halfway line; thus, Ramsdale may be brought back into the fold here.

As for Brighton, Adam Webster, Stefanos Tzimas, and Diego Gomez (all knee injuries) will not feature, while James Milner (unspecified issue) is also likely to miss out on facing one of his former clubs.

Solly March (muscle) is the only Seagull that might emerge from the medical room for Saturday’s match, but starting seems unlikely for a player who has played just four senior minutes this season.

Mats Wieffer’s removal at half-time against Chelsea raised some eyebrows, but it is believed he has not sustained an injury and should retain his place over Joel Veltman this weekend.

Newcastle United probable starting XI:

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

Brighton & Hove Albion probable starting XI:

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

Even against a diminishing and weary Arsenal side, Newcastle’s passionate performance at the Emirates provides real optimism for the remaining matches, particularly with Guimaraes returning and Joelinton also making his comeback.

However, securing a win against one of the league’s most on-form teams may still prove challenging, and a vivacious Brighton could make their lengthy trip worthwhile by earning a point in what promises to be an entertaining draw.