· December 7 2024, 13:52
**The team news is in ahead of Newcastle United's clash with Brentford at the G-Tech Community Stadium - The game is due to kick-off at 3pm.**
Brentford are rock solid at home this season and indeed the last team to beat the Bees on their home turf was indeed Newcastle United last season in a six-goal thriller which saw the visitors leave with a 4-2 win.
Goals have been predicted today by the two main pundits we look at each week with both Paul Merson and Chris Sutton predicting a 2-2 draw.
Eddie Howe will be hoping to build on the fantastic performance in midweek which saw the Magpies score thrice in a 3-3 draw with Liverpool.
Wrong, so wrong.
Eddie Howe has rested Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon
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However, Howe is sending out a slightly different starting XI to face Brentford, likely in a bid to rest those players who gave it their all on Wednesday.
Howe had hinted that a couple of big stars were struggling by the end of the last match, and it looks like he, along with James Bunce, have decided to give players some respite rather than overworking them. It makes sense, for sure, but it may make things a tad more tricky this afternoon.
Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon drop out of the starting line up to be replaced by Sean Longstaff and Harvey Barnes respectively while Jacob Murphy keeps his place on the right flank.
Brentford have a strong looking attack
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We absolutely understand the need for those changes, but man are we worried how this is going to play out now.
Meanwhile, there are no real shocks in the Brentford XI. Bryan Mbeumo has the chance to audition for a role at Newcastle as he's in from the start. Yoan Wissa and Igor Thiago join him in the front three.
On paper, this looks like a non-contest, but unfortunately, every time we've pointed that out in the past, we've lost or at least struggled. So why did I mention it again? Streaks got to be broken eventually, right?