Newcastle United's win over Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League on Wednesday evening was much-needed, but Eddie Howe knows his side have not yet responded to the bitter Premier League defeat at West Ham United last weekend.
Now, they have the opportunity to do that against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium. This is a tough match, with Keith Andrews' side rallying after a difficult summer transfer window and defying a few by easing away from the relegation pack so far this season.
The Bees have lost just one of their five home fixtures in the Premier League this term, a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City, and, alarmingly, United have not won away from St. James' Park, losing three in a row in the top flight. They do, however, have a strong recent record against the Londoners.
Newcastle Recent Record vs Brentford
Season
24/25
24/25
24/25
23/24
23/24
Data via Transfermarkt
With the November international break looming large, this is the perfect opportunity for the Toon to prove they have what it takes to establish consistency both on Tyneside and on the road.
However, they will have to do this without Anthony Gordon, who has been ruled out after injuring his hip in midweek.
The latest on Anthony Gordon's fitness
Gordon has not been in great form for a while. Across his past 19 Premier League outings, the England international has failed to score or assist a goal.
But the 24-year-old is still one of the most talented wingers in the country, and he will be missed against a resilient Brentford outfit.
Anthony Gordon for Newcastle
Howe intimated in his pre-match press conference that Gordon will be unavailable, having suffered a recurrence of the hip injury that has plagued him this year after about an hour of action in the Champions League.
Of course, we can't ignore the frustrating watch that preceded the setback. Chronicle Live gave Gordon a 5/10 match rating and commented that he didn't look right down the left channel.
Gordon will be sidelined for this one, but Howe may well have considered replacing him anyway after a tough spell.
Harvey Barnes is the most likely candidate to move onto the left wing, but there's an even more left-field option that the manager may want to consider, especially after Joelinton found form in the centre of the park several days ago.
Howe can unleash Gordon replacement in new role
Newcastle have enough resources available to find that elusive away win without Gordon in the mix. But it will require a big performance, with players stepping up and kick-starting their season.
Among these is Jacob Ramsey, who joined Newcastle from Aston Villa for £39m plus £4m in add-ons this summer. The Boyhood Villa fan has struggled with injuries over the past few years, but he was a popular and talented figure in the Midlands, and there's a sense from Newcastle's rivals that they have lost a potential superstar.
Jacob Ramsey for Newcastle
Fitness issues have plagued him at the start of his career in a new setting, and because of this, Ramsey has only featured seven times across all competitions, with just one start in the Premier League.
It was a dour day in the capital for Newcastle last weekend, but Ramsey showed something of his quality when entering the fray after the interval, with Sofascore recording that he completed two dribbles, made three recoveries and won four of six duels throughout the second half.
Jacob Ramsey
Given the robustness of Newcastle's central engine room, it would be foolish to unleash Ramsey in the ten berth against tough-tackling Brentford. However, he has the dribbling ability and creativity to service Woltemade from the left, leaving Howe to pick one of Barnes or Jacob Murphy to play from the right flank.
The former Villan played like a man with a desire to nail down a starting spot at the London Stadium, and while his efforts were to no avail, his commitment cannot be questioned.
This is a versatile playmaker whose skills could damage the home side from the wing. When played out wide, Ramsey has historically had something of a penchant for an evenly spread output.
Jacob Ramsey - Career Stats by Position
Position
Left midfield
Central midfield
Attacking midfield
Left wing
Right midfield
Centre-forward
Data via Transfermarkt
Hailed as a "monster" of an attacking midfielder by analyst Ryan McKeown, Ramsey's pace, fluid movement and impressive athleticism - when at full fitness - now need to be channelled into something prolific. Howe signed the player with a vision in his mind, and now he must put that plan into action.
After all, despite a tough year on the Englishman's part, he has shown his quality through his underlying data, with FBref revealing he ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past yerar for pass completion, the top 9% for tackles and the top 6% for success rate when taking on opponents per 90.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
Now, the impetus is on building up match fluidity and avoiding another injury setback. Should Ramsey succeed in this, he might even come to pile pressure on Gordon for a place on the left flank.
jaco-ramsey-newcastle
Newcastle have options as they prepare to take on Brentford at the Gtech, and after signing a talent such as Ramsey for a hefty fee this summer, surely this is the perfect time for him to announce himself in the Premier League under Howe's wing.