Fresh from dispatching top-four foes Manchester United in front of a passionate home crowd, Newcastle United will continue their quest for Champions League football when they face West Ham United at the London Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The Hammers also picked up a vital win last time out, defeating relegation rivals Southampton to move one point clear of the bottom three, but David Moyes's men still have plenty of work to do in order to avoid the drop.
Match preview
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With the bottom nine clubs in the Premier League table separated by just seven points, Sunday's 1-0 victory over basement dwellers Southampton could prove to be a pivotal win for David Moyes and his players.
Nayef Aguerd scored the only goal of the game midway through the first half to overcome the Saints, who enjoyed the lion's share of possession at the London Stadium but failed to make the most of their dominance.
West Ham have now avoided defeat in each of their last four outings across all competitions, picking up three wins and one draw along the way, and they head into Wednesday's clash on a six-match unbeaten streak on home soil, with four clean sheets coming in that time.
When you look at the bigger picture, however, the Hammers have managed to win just seven of their 27 Premier League games this season, while only five sides have scored fewer goals than Moyes's men in 2022-23.
Although West Ham can take confidence from the fact that they hold the best defensive record in the bottom nine – having conceded 34 goals this term – the London outfit could struggle to extend their run of clean sheets when in-form Newcastle come to town.
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Newcastle United took a big step towards securing Champions League football by recording a hugely impressive 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday, with Joe Willock and Callum Wilson grabbing the goals in the second half.
Eddie Howe's men remained a constant threat throughout the match and racked up 22 shots in the process, while the visitors managed a solitary attempt on target as they struggled to find a way through Newcastle's steely backline.
After enduring a tricky five-game winless run across February and early March – recording two draws and three defeats in all competitions – the Magpies have rediscovered their early-season form in recent weeks.
Following 2-1 victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest, Newcastle secured a third successive Premier League win last time out, putting the club in a strong position to clinch a top-four finish.
Goalkeeper Nick Pope kept a league-high 13th clean sheet on Sunday, meaning that Newcastle still boast the best defensive record in the division, having conceded seven goals fewer than Manchester City.
Team News
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West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski returned from injury to keep a clean sheet against Southampton, so deputy stopper Alphonse Areola will remain on the bench for the foreseeable future.
On the injury front, Gianluca Scamacca is the only doubt for the Hammers as the Italian striker continues to recover from a knee issue, meaning that Danny Ings should continue to lead the line.
Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma are expected to occupy the wide attacking areas, with Brazil international Lucas Paqueta joining the ever-dependable Declan Rice in midfield.
As for Newcastle, Miguel Almiron remains sidelined through injury, while Emil Krafth looks set to miss the rest of the season due to an ACL tear.
Jacob Murphy will continue to deputise for Almiron on the right wing, while Allan Saint-Maximin is expected to occupy the opposite flank and offer attacking support to striker Alexander Isak.
Despite the fact that Joelinton is back from suspension, Eddie Howe could stick with the midfield trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock following the stellar performance against Man Utd.
Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman and Dan Burn will continue to make up Newcastle's backline, offering first-class defensive cover to Nick Pope between the sticks.
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Kehrer, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson; Soucek, Rice, Paqueta; Bowen, Ings, Benrahma
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock; Murphy, Isak, Saint-Maximin
We say: West Ham United 0-1 Newcastle United
Although West Ham have upped their game of late – avoiding defeat in each of their last five home league matches – high-flying Newcastle look set to notch a fourth consecutive victory as they continue their top-four charge on Wednesday.
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Top tip
Ben Morris
