Paul Merson has delivered an interesting verdict on Newcastle United’s upcoming Premier League clash against West Ham United.
It will be the Magpies’ final game before the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, as Eddie Howe aims to end Newcastle United’s trophy drought.
While fans are focussed on Wembley, Newcastle United must prioritise the Premier League. The next game is the most important, as they head to the London Stadium.
After Newcastle lost to Brighton in the FA Cup, they desperately need a strong performance to boost their confidence. However, Paul Merson is not sure about that happening.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Paul Merson predicts West Ham vs Newcastle United
As part of his Premier League predictions for Sportskeeda, Merson has given his verdict on the Monday night game between West Ham United and Newcastle United.
The former Arsenal forward has suggested that the Carabao Cup final could be a distraction for Newcastle, stating that he believes the Hammers will come out on top.
“It’s a hard game for Newcastle,” he said.
“They are only two points off a European place at the moment, but if the teams around them win like I expect, they will drift further away. Some big players like Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Lewis Hall are likely to miss out on this game with injuries and that’s a massive blow for Newcastle.
“If it weren’t for the cup final next week, I would have backed Newcastle. I think they will be cautious about more players picking up injuries and that might hurt them against West Ham.”
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Merson’s prediction: West Ham 2 Newcastle United 0
It is worth noting that Merson’s Alexander Isak prediction is probably incorrect.
While Merson has suggested that he could miss out, Isak has trained this week and should be fit to face the Hammers on Monday night.
However, Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall will definitely be unavailable due to suspension and injury respectively.
Newcastle United’s record vs West Ham
The Magpies will be out for revenge on Monday night, having lost to West Ham at St James’ Park earlier in the season.
Eddie Howe’s side were really poor against the Hammers, losing 2-0. At the time, West Ham were managed by Julen Lopetegui. However, he has since been replaced by Graham Potter, who has guided West Ham to back-to-back victories.
Merson has suggested they will make it three in a row at Newcastle’s expense, but this fixture has largely been dominated by the Magpies in recent years.
Out of the last 11 games between the two sides, Newcastle have won five, drawn four and lost two.
If West Ham win on Monday, it will be the first time they have done the double over Newcastle since the 2018/19 campaign.