The Magpies are facing a potentially season defining six days in both Premier League and Carabao Cup action. Whilst attention will naturally shift to Sunday’s game against Liverpool, they will be keen to avoid losing any ground in the race for European football when they face West Ham at the London Stadium tonight.
Newcastle United enjoy a good record at the former Olympic Stadium, having not lost there since 2019. However, they will be fully aware of the dangers the Hammers pose having been defeated 2-0 at St James’ Park back in November in one of their most disappointing performances of the season.
Graham Potter’s side head into tonight’s match having won back-to-back league matches against Leicester City and Arsenal and will be looking to exploit any lapse in concentration from their visitors. Eddie Howe, meanwhile, will be without Lewis Hall, Anthony Gordon and Sven Botman tonight following a bruising week of injury and suspension blows - but he believes those blows can help unite his team and the fanbase ahead of their next two crucial games.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United rallying cry
Winning tonight would be the perfect platform for Newcastle United to attack Sunday’s game from and ensure they remain right in the mix for Champions League qualification with ten matches left to play in the league. Gordon, Hall and Botman’s absences will be hard felt, but Howe believes his side will be tough enough to deal with them.
Howe said: “A positive has to come from it for us to have any chance of being successful in the next few weeks. There is no question of us feeling sorry for ourselves.
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“We believe in ourselves and we believe in the group. We believe in how we play and how we work. I believe in the characters of the players.
“I believe we’ve got a really special team and a special group of people. But we need to come together. After the Brighton game, that was a really difficult feeling for 48 hours.
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“But there is always a new day and a new way of looking at the same situation. For me, I look at it as, ‘Can I find answers to the problems?’. Then, ‘can we fight back even stronger?’”
Newcastle United’s post-Carabao Cup final schedule
Newcastle United will have more than a fortnight off following their trip to Wembley. Those not away on international duty will take part in a training camp in Dubai before their return to action on Wednesday 2 April at home to Brentford.
Another Monday night away trip follows that match when they travel to Leicester City to face Ruud van Nistelrooy’s struggling Foxes side on Monday 7 April. The Magpies return to St James’ Park following that match for a clash against Manchester United on Sunday 13 April before Crystal Palace make the trip to Tyneside three days later for their rearranged Premier League match.
Aston Villa away and Ipswich Town at home wrap up Newcastle’s April. Brighton (a), Chelsea (h), Arsenal (a) and Everton (h) on the final day of the season concludes their campaign.