Premier League fixtures this weekend - Newcastle United perspective on these games elsewhere
Checking out the Premier League matches scheduled for this weekend.
Viewing the other matches through the lens of Newcastle United.
Eddie Howe and his team will go up against West Ham on Monday evening.
As a fan of Newcastle United, take a moment to check out this weekend's other Premier League matches and consider what outcomes you'd like to see versus what seems probable based on the current situation.
By the time the Hammers arrive at St James' Park, all nine other Premier League matches will have already taken place.
Leicester versus Chelsea (12:30 PM)
Bournemouth takes on Brighton at 3 PM.
Arsenal facing Nottingham Forest (3 PM)
Aston Villa will host Crystal Palace at 3 PM.
Everton versus Brentford (3 PM)
Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur (5:30 PM)
Southampton takes on Liverpool at 2 PM.
Ipswich versus Manchester United (4:30 PM)
Newcastle will face off against West Ham at 8 PM.
Here's what the standings look like on Saturday morning, ahead of this weekend's Premier League matches:
I believe it's fair to say that we are only just now able to consider something like this.
As we look ahead, we’re hopeful about improving our position in the standings and curious about which upcoming results could work in our favor rather than against us.
By following this strategy, I believe that many of the Premier League matches this weekend provide us with clear indications of which teams we should be supporting (and which ones we want to lose!).
But can they actually follow through?
The first match should be a straightforward one, and fingers crossed Leicester can secure a positive result, even with Chelsea being ahead in the standings. The Foxes have managed to win one game and draw two at home, letting in just seven goals during their first five Premier League home games, so let's keep our hopes up!
Not surprisingly, Nottingham Forest is currently in a better position than Newcastle United as we approach the weekend. I’m really hoping they can pull off a win against Arsenal or, at the very least, secure a draw. So far this season, Forest has been impressive on the road, with three wins and two draws, having only given up four goals in five away matches. In total, across all competitions—both home and away—Forest has played 12 games and lost just three, with two of those losses coming against Newcastle. Additionally, they have let in four out of their eleven goals in matches against NUFC.
Aston Villa had a great start to the season, but things have taken a downturn lately, as they’ve only managed to win one of their last seven matches in domestic competitions. One of those six losses included a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home against Crystal Palace in the League Cup. Given Palace's struggles so far, I think they can at least secure a draw in today’s game.
While I know I should be hoping for an Everton victory, I just can't get on board with that, especially if it’s just to deny Brentford some points. Honestly, the outcome I’d prefer is the usual dull draw at home that Sean Dyche tends to produce against the Bees.
Kudos to Fulham, but it's hard to imagine them staying near the top of the table as the season progresses. That said, it wouldn't be a bad outcome if Wolves manage to get some points from them today, which seems doable. Wolves haven't been as terrible as their current results indicate.
The matchup between Man City and Tottenham is quite a challenge. I could hope for a big upset, wishing for Man City to lose so that Newcastle could close the gap to just two points if they manage to defeat West Ham. However, realistically, it seems unlikely that Newcastle will outpace Man City in the standings (unless they face relegation or severe point deductions due to the Premier League's charges!). So, if Newcastle wins and Tottenham loses this weekend, Eddie Howe’s team would pull five points ahead of Spurs.
It's a battle between the last place team and the leaders, with Southampton facing off against Liverpool.
While it may be a long shot, it would be fantastic if Liverpool were to slip up and lose points. They certainly deserve their top position, but it’s worth noting that they’ve benefited from a fair bit of luck to accumulate 28 points from their first 11 matches. On the other hand, Southampton has struggled away from home, losing all six of their Premier League games and letting in 13 goals. However, they've managed to secure one win and one draw at home, though they’ve still conceded eight goals across those five matches.
Another matchup that embodies the classic battle between good and evil, where we all have a preferred winner, is Ipswich versus Manchester United.
Ipswich has displayed some solid football at times, and it’s possible that their lack of experience in the Premier League has led to them missing out on valuable points. They’ve secured draws against teams like Aston Villa, Brighton, and Fulham, and they also achieved a well-deserved away victory against Tottenham in their most recent PL match. While Manchester United might have a new manager, the players remain the same, so there’s no reason Ipswich can’t aim for at least a draw in their next game.
(***ED: The first half of the Leicester vs. Chelsea game has ended with Chelsea ahead 1-0. Despite the score, Leicester looked more threatening as the half went on. Let's hope they can make a comeback and secure a positive result.)
