Newcastle United will be looking to win their fourth game in succession across all competitions, with the Magpies set to travel down to London to face West Ham United on Sunday afternoon.
Eddie Howe’s men go into the game in excellent form, having beaten Fulham, Benfica and, most recently, Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup.
There is not really a better time to be playing the Hammers than this week. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are in abysmal form, not winning since the 31st of August. They’ve lost six on the bounce, with little sign of their form improving.
Anthony Gordon, who was rested in midweek, could pose a huge threat to the Hammers.
How Newcastle can hurt West Ham
It seems almost guaranteed that Gordon will come straight back into the Newcastle starting lineup for their game against the East Londoners. He has been in strong form this season, dominating in the Champions League and could reall pose a big threat to the Irons.
Amongst Europe’s elite, the former Everton star has four goals and one assist in just three games. One of those strikes came against Barcelona, attacking the ball at the back post to fire home a cross from Jacob Murphy.
Incredibly, Gordon is yet to score or assist in the Premier League. He’s played six games and accumulated an expected goal involvement tally of 0.42 xGI. However, he has yet to chip in with a goal or assist.
The game against the Hammers could be the ideal opportunity for the England international to break his Premier League duck this season. His pace and direct nature could prove to be a huge threat against Nuno’s side, which has looked incohesive at the back this season, to say the least.
However, it is not only the final third threat of Gordon that could trouble West Ham. Howe has some dangerous options in midfield, too.
Howe’s midfield star could terrify West Ham
Against Spurs in midweek, the Magpies rotated their midfield. Sandro Tonali was the only first-choice player who started, with Jacob Ramsey and Joe Willock operating either side of the Italian.
Bruno Guimaraes was on the bench, as was a man who could be hugely important against West Ham; Joelinton.
The Brazilian has played an important role in the middle of the park alongside Tonali and Guimaraes, and he could well slot back into the side against the Hammers.
The Brazil international is not enjoying his finest campaign, with Toon blogger Thomas Hammond even suggesting it’s the “start of the end” for the 29-year-old, who has been “honking” for some time.
That said, the number of minutes he has played shows just how important he is to Howe’s side. He’s featured 12 times across all competitions, with seven of those appearances coming in the Premier League.
One of the key reasons why the former Hoffenheim star could be pivotal against West Ham is his physicality. One described as a “dominant” midfielder by Statman Dave, Joelinton is notorious for his crunching tackles and his aerial prowess.
An excellent example of this strength came against Manchester United in the top flight last season. The Brazilian got himself on the scoresheet, outjumping and physically dominating Lisandro Martinez at the back post to head home a cross from Gordon.
This is particularly important against Nuno’s side. After their 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford a couple of weeks ago, Jamie Carragher said he can’t remember a “less athletic team I’ve seen for a very, very long time in the Premier League.”
It is easy to see why someone with the physicality of Joelinton can bully the Hammers side. However, he also offers quality on the ball. This term, the midfielder averages 0.9 chances created per game, and played an average of 11.1 forward passes per 90 minutes last season.
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Joelinton stats in last 2 PL seasons |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
|
Chances created |
0.8 |
0.9 |
|
Opposition half passes completed |
19.3 |
17 |
|
Forward passes |
11.1 |
7.8 |
|
Duels won |
6.3 |
5.9 |
|
Ball recoveries |
5.6 |
4.6 |
|
Stats from Squawka |
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Joelinton could quite easily slot into the Magpies’ side as a replacement for Ramsey. His physicality will be important against what is a weak Hammers side, according to Carragher. However, you don’t lose the creative influence of Ramsey, given what the Brazilian can offer in the final third.
If this is a decision Howe makes at the London Stadium weekend, it could be crucial to helping his side secure their fourth win in a row.
