The spotlight shines brightly on Tyneside as West Ham United travel north for a crucial Premier League clash against Newcastle United on Saturday.
This high-stakes encounter has the potential to significantly impact the race for European qualification, and the Hammers must capitalise on a vulnerable Newcastle side riddled with injuries.
Riding a four-match unbeaten streak, West Ham are firmly in the conversation for continental football yet again.
A victory against Newcastle would significantly bolster their hopes of Europa League qualifications. It would move them to sixth place, level on points with Manchester United, who face Brentford later in the day.
However, West Ham have struggled against Newcastle in recent meetings, failing to secure a win in their last four encounters.
They’ll take solace from the fact that their most recent victory against the Magpies came at St James’ Park, marking their solitary triumph over Newcastle across their last nine meetings (D4, L4).
However, capitalising on Newcastle’s injury issues is paramount for West Ham. The Magpies have claimed one win in their last four league matches (D1, L2).
Newcastle are reeling from a staggering eight potential absentees. Nick Pope, Sven Botman, Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Callum Wilson are out of the picture, leaving significant holes in their starting XI.
Kieran Tripper, Tino Livramento and Harvey Barnes are also major doubts for the game, further compounding Eddie Howe’s selection woes.
This is West Ham’s opportunity to exploit the cracks in Newcastle’s armour. A win would be a hammer blow to Newcastle’s European hopes and solidify their position in the European places.
The reverse fixture ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw, with Mohamed Kudus snatching a dramatic late equaliser for the Hammers.
However, three points are paramount if West Ham are serious about challenging for a Europa League spot.
