MX23RW : Wednesday, December 25 12:15:21| >> :120:15546:15546:
[monks data]
Newcastle logo
Premier League | Gameweek 1
Aug 15, 2021 at 2pm UK
St James' Park
West Ham logo

Newcastle
2 - 4
West Ham

Wilson (5'), Murphy (40')
Shelvey (51')
FT(HT: 2-1)
Cresswell (18'), Benrahma (53'), Soucek (63'), Antonio (66')

Preview: Newcastle United vs. West Ham United - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday's Premier League clash between Newcastle United and West Ham United, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Newcastle United and West Ham United will once again lock horns on the opening day of the Premier League season, this time in front of the St James' Park faithful on Sunday afternoon.

Steve Bruce's men will aim to steer clear of danger for the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign, while West Ham must balance domestic and European commitments.


Match preview

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce reacts on May 7, 2021© Reuters

Newcastle and relegation scraps are something of an inevitability these days, but the introduction of a certain Arsenal loanee ultimately propelled the Magpies clear of the bottom three and into a fifth successive season of Premier League football.

Bruce's men were languishing down in 17th place with only nine games left to play, but the heroics of Joe Willock against Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, West Ham United and Sheffield United – to name but a few – saw Newcastle win three of their final four games and finish as high as 12th.

With the frustration of stalled takeover talks continuing to rumble on in the background, Newcastle's pre-season kicked off with a 1-0 defeat to York City, but the Magpies responded with successes over Doncaster Rovers, Burton Albion and Norwich City, beating the latter 3-0 in front of the returning St James' Park crowd.

However, to say that it has been an underwhelming summer of transfer movement would be an understatement, with three academy prospects representing the club's only incomings so far, although a £25m deal for Willock is still expected to come to fruition.

Having become synonymous with hefty injury lists, the absences of Bruce's two first-choice goalkeepers will certainly not aid a team who only kept two Premier League clean sheets at home all season last term, while West Ham are out to right the wrongs of the opening day 11 months ago.

West Ham United manager David Moyes applauds the fans at the end of the match on August 7, 2021© Reuters

The irrepressible David Moyes machine will now attempt to prove their worth on the European stage, as the Hammers' sixth-placed finish in the 2020-21 season saw them make the Europa League group stages for the first time ever.

For a short while, Champions League football seemed to be on the agenda for West Ham, but defeats to Newcastle United, Chelsea and Everton crushed those dreams for a side who - like Newcastle - were inspired by a six-month loan signing intent on reigniting his career.

Jesse Lingard travelled to the capital after enduring a painfully difficult first half of the season at Old Trafford, where his opportunities were few and far between under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but with 14 goal contributions in 16 games for the Hammers (nine strikes, five assists), his role in their European charge proved invaluable.

The club's attempts to bring Lingard back to the London Stadium permanently have so far failed to bear fruit, but they certainly did not need him to enjoy an eye-catching pre-season period - winning their last five exhibition matches - including a 2-0 success over Atalanta and 6-2 thrashing of Celtic.

This time last season, Callum Wilson and Jeff Hendrick netted in a 2-0 win for Newcastle at West Ham on the opening weekend, and the capital side are out to end a five-game opening day losing streak ahead of their trip to the North East.

Newcastle United Premier League form:
  • L
  • W
  • D
  • W
  • L
  • W

West Ham United Premier League form:
  • D
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W



Team News

Newcastle United's Joe Willock celebrates scoring against West Ham United in the Premier League on April 17, 2021© Reuters

Newcastle are thought to be making great strides in their efforts to sign Willock, but it remains to be seen if he will be registered in time for the visit of West Ham.

Freddie Woodman is set to occupy the gloves as Martin Dubravka (foot) and Karl Darlow (coronavirus) remain unavailable, while Paul Dummett's calf problem will also force the defender to miss the opening day.

Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin seem set to form Bruce's first-choice front pairing throughout the season barring any fitness woes, while Miguel Almiron has a fight on his hands to force his way into the engine room.

West Ham have a few bumps and bruises to assess before the opening day, with Angelo Ogbonna, Manuel Lanzini and Arthur Masuaku all uncertain, although the latter two would struggle to contend for starting roles anyway.

Issa Diop and Craig Dawson will likely form the centre-back pairing with Ogbonna doubtful, but who they will be protecting is more of an uncertainty, as Lukasz Fabianski and Alphonse Areola are set to battle for the number one spot over the coming months.

Michail Antonio continues to hold the fort up top as West Ham's only recognised centre-forward, but he only needs one more goal to match Paulo Di Canio's Premier League record of 47 for the Hammers.

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Woodman; Fernandez, Lascelles, Schar; Murphy, Hayden, S. Longstaff, Almiron, Ritchie; Wilson, Saint-Maximin

West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma; Antonio


SM words green background

We say: Newcastle United 0-2 West Ham United

Keeping Wilson, Almiron and Saint-Maximin fit and firing on all cylinders is simply vital for Newcastle lest they risk being dragged into another battle for survival, and the potential arrival of Willock should certainly lead to greater optimism at St James' Park.

West Ham have never been renowned for their opening-day supremacy, but Moyes's men were simply unplayable in pre-season and ought to get off on the right foot before their European endeavours take precedence.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a double chance bet on a home win or an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Home/Away:data



ID:459180:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect11444:
Written by
Ben Knapton

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 West Ham United win with a probability of 53.53%. A draw had a probability of 24.7% and a win for Newcastle United had a probability of 21.82%.

The most likely scoreline for a West Ham United win was 0-1 with a probability of 12.35%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-2 (10.1%) and 1-2 (9.57%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.7%), while for a Newcastle United win it was 1-0 (7.16%). The actual scoreline of 2-4 was predicted with a 1% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that West Ham United would win this match.


Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History

How you voted: Newcastle vs West Ham

Newcastle United
24.9%
Draw
15.2%
West Ham United
59.9%
297
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
West Ham United's Jesse Lingard celebrates scoring against Leicester City in the Premier League on April 11, 2021
Read Next:
West Ham 2021-22 season preview - prediction, summer signings, star player
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!