Newcastle United head into the final international break of 2025 two points above the relegation zone in the Premier League after their 3-1 defeat to Brentford on Sunday.
The Magpies took the lead in the match, thanks to a brilliant goal from winger Harvey Barnes, but they were unable to press on and secure all three points.
Brentford went on to score three times after that opener from the English forward, and Eddie Howe will surely be disappointed with the defending that was on display from his players, notably Sven Botman and Dan Burn.
Why Newcastle should drop Sven Botman and Dan Burn
When Newcastle face Manchester City on the other side of the international break, the English head coach should drop both of those players from the starting line-up, although Burn has done the job for him by being sent off.
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The makeshift left-back was given a second yellow card for giving away the penalty for Brentford's second goal, as his lack of pace saw him caught out from a ball over the top, and a swing of the boot at the forward gave the referee little choice.
Burn was not the only underperformer in the defence, though, as Botman was also caught out, albeit via a deflection from Malick Thiaw, for the third goal of the game.
The Dutch centre-back, per Sofascore, lost four of his five aerial duels and did not win a single tackle during his time on the pitch, which was over 100 minutes with added time, which shows that Brentford's players found it too easy to play against him.
Burn and Botman are not the only players who could lose their place in the starting line-up for the clash with City, as Sandro Tonali also struggled in midfield.
Why Newcastle should drop Sandro Tonali
The Italy international has been in fantastic form for the Magpies in the Premier League this season. He has been an engine in the middle of the park for Howe and has put in some brilliant displays.
Tonali has won 53% of his duels in the Premier League so far this season, per Sofascore, and created 1.3 chances per game for his teammates, but he was a shadow of his usual self in his performance against Brentford.
The former AC Milan midfielder earned a 4/10 player rating from Newcastle World for his display in the middle of the park against the Bees, and he was substituted for Joe Willock in the 77th minute, as part of a quadruple change by the manager.
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Tonali was not at his best in the middle of the park and was too easy for the Brentford players to play against, as was the case with Botman, as he lost 75% (3/4) of his duels in the game.
Sandro Tonali 25/26 Premier League (per game) Vs Brentford
Duels won 2.8 1
Duel success rate 53% 25%
Tackles won 1.1 0
Pass accuracy 86% 83%
Passes completed 43.8 33
Key passes per game 1.3 0
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Italy international was nowhere near his usual standards in midfield for the Magpies, as he failed to make much of an impact in or out of possession.
These statistics show that he did not offer enough quality on the ball as a creative force with his passing, whilst the midfielder was also beaten too easily in physical duels.
Therefore, Howe could ruthlessly drop the 4/10 flop from the starting line-up when they face Manchester City after the international break, with Burn missing out through suspension and Botman also potentially dropped for his dismal performance.