We have taken a look at Newcastle United as they visit the Amex today.

Q – Start of the season?

A – While Newcastle sit 13th in the table, their two defeats were against Manchester City and Liverpool.

They thrashed Aston Villa 5-1 on the opening day, before a 1-0 loss to the champions. They showed some defensive frailty against ten-man Liverpool with Darwin Nunez scoring two late goals.

Q – Strengths?

A – Over the past year, Eddie Howe has converted the Magpies into a Champions League team. A solid team defensively that work extremely hard and utilise the pace out wide with Anthony Gordon and Miguel Almiron.

Last season, the Toons were joint with Manchester City as the team that least goals conceded (33) in the whole of the Premier League.

Albion fans may recall Nick Pope having one of the games of his life in last season’s 0-0 draw. He is one of the best shot stoppers in the league.

Newcastle's midfield with Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali has looked particularly strong this season.

Q – Player to Watch

A – Newcastle is a team with players of many talents, otherwise achieving UEFA Champions League would not have been possible. However, Alexander Isak is the player to have an eye on.

The Swedish striker was a success as he contributed 10 goals and one assist in 22 Premier League games. This season, Isak scored twice in the opening day against Villa.

A dangerous player who can take on his man, who thanks to his height is strong in aerial duels and converts many of his shots into goals.

Q – New signings                                                     

A – The Magpie fans are excited for this new season as top players have signed for the club and had an immediate impact.

Sandro Tonali moved from AC Milan to Newcastle for a €64 million fee. The Italian midfielder has fit in with ease since signing. Tonali scored the first goal of the season against Villa.

Furthermore, the signings of Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento give a plus to the team who will need squad depth more than ever.

Head-to-Head

Brighton found it tough last season against Newcastle. The Seagulls drew 0-0 and lost 4-1 at St James’ Park. They have not beaten the Toons since 2021. Two seasons with no wins.

Previous to that, Newcastle went on a nine winless streak.

Eddie Howe´s Quotes…

“They are a very interesting team. Roberto has done an amazing job. He´s a very unique coach in the way he gets his teams to play.”

“They´re very ball-dominated and clever with how they set their teams up. He and his players deserve a lot of credit what they´ve done and achieved last season.”