The Daily Star Ireland
Newcastle United are currently sitting in the lower part of the Premier League table, far from their initial goal of qualifying for Europe this season. Before their match against Leicester City last weekend, they had gone four Premier League games without a win, suffering a 4-2 defeat to Brentford on December 7. In addition to their struggles in the league, Newcastle has been performing decently in the League Cup, having eliminated Nottingham Forest, AFC Wimbledon, and Chelsea to progress.
Brentford, on the other hand, have been enjoying solid form and are targeting European qualification. Their impressive 4-2 victory over Newcastle extended their good run, and they are also eyeing potential silverware after their success in the EFL Cup. Previous rounds saw them comfortably beating Colchester, Leyton Orient, and Sheffield Wednesday.
Newcastle are dealing with some injury concerns. Key players such as Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles, and Emil Krafth are unavailable. Alexander Isak, with six goals in the Premier League, is the team’s primary attacking threat, while Bruno Guimaraes, who has been a pivotal player in midfield since joining from Lyon, remains an essential figure for the team.
Brentford also have their share of injuries, with midfielders Mathias Jensen and several defenders such as Aaron Hickey and Ethan Pinnock sidelined. Despite this, Yoane Wissa, who has scored nine goals this season, has stepped up in place of the departed Ivan Toney, alongside Bryan Mbeumo, who has also netted nine goals.
In terms of recent form, both teams have been involved in high-scoring games. Newcastle’s recent home fixtures have been particularly entertaining, with nine of their last ten EFL Cup matches featuring at least three goals. Similarly, Brentford has seen plenty of action with over 2.5 goals in nine of their last ten games.
Prediction
Given both teams’ offensive strengths and defensive vulnerabilities, the match is expected to be closely contested, with a slight edge going to Brentford, who may come away with a 2-1 victory.
