Newcastle United vs Brighton & Hove Albion

St James’ Park forms the backdrop for a high-stakes Premier League showdown between Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

After three consecutive victories, Newcastle’s pursuit of a coveted top-four Premier League finish has suffered back-to-back setbacks (D1, L1), allowing fifth-placed Liverpool to whittle down the gap to a single point. Taking advantage of a game in hand is crucial as Eddie Howe’s side return to St James’ Park following a goal-glutted 2-2 draw at Leeds United, seeking a fifth triumph in six home league matches (L1). However, the ‘Magpies’ couldn’t have picked a worse opposition, considering they’ve only claimed one win in their 11 meetings with Brighton in the Premier League (D6, L4), courtesy of a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Howe must address his side’s growing defensive woes after overseeing just one clean sheet in Newcastle’s last 15 top-flight outings.

In the meantime, visiting Brighton stunned title-bidding Arsenal 3-0 on the road last weekend to bounce back from an embarrassing 5-1 home loss to relegation-fighting Everton. Consistency has not been Brighton’s strong suit away from home, as their last six league matches on the road have alternated between different outcomes (W3, D1, L2). Interestingly, three of the five games (won/lost) during that sequence yielded multi-goal margins, suggesting this could be a one-street affair that may go either way. But Roberto De Zerbi’s men have been an attacking force to be reckoned with outside the Amex Stadium this term, with only Arsenal (35) netting more away goals than Brighton (33) in the 2022/23 Premier League season.