Newcastle United officially begin a new era under new owners and a new manager as they host Brentford on Saturday afternoon. There is plenty of optimism around the Magpies lately and they will be looking to ride on the new manager bounce against a Brentford team, who have looked off colour in recent weeks.
Having been appointed during the international break, Eddie Howe will have had enough time to work with his new players ahead of his first match in charge. Of all the managers interviewed, the former Bournemouth gaffer apparently impressed the club with his vision and philosophy.
Eddie Howe is often considered a progressive manager and likes his team to play on the front foot. He will have plenty of attacking quality to work with at Newcastle, particularly with the likes of Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin, who have been among the shining lights this season.
Although they are still winless this season, Newcastle United have shown some fight in recent weeks. They have come from behind to earn draws against Crystal Palace and Brighton and can channel those performances for their first win on Saturday.
After taking the Premier League by surprise in the opening weeks of the season, the cracks now appear to be showing at Brentford. They have been on a steady decline in recent times and are only four points above Newcastle in the relegation zone.
Things appear to be rapidly unravelling for Brentford, who travel to Newcastle off the back of four straight Premier League defeats. Thomas Frank’s men also handed Norwich City their first win of the season and were beaten 2-1 at home in their previous fixture.
Brentford often attempt to outscore their opponents but all of that appears to have caught up with them lately. Strikers Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney are currently on lengthy goal droughts while at the other end of the pitch, they have conceded seven goals in their last four matches.
How the bookies view it
The bookies appear to be expecting a closely fought encounter with a win for Newcastle United priced at 17/10 with SBK while Sport Nation is offering 24/13 for a Brentford victory. A draw is set at odds of 49/20 by Unibet.
Head to head
Newcastle United have a 2-1 edge from three previous matches against Brentford. Both teams met in a League Cup clash in 2020 with Brentford claiming a 1-0 victory.
Players to watch
Callum Wilson often leads the line for Newcastle United and will be the one to watch on Saturday. The striker has four goals in seven matches this season and is priced at 7/5 by Unibet to score anytime.
Although they have looked off colour lately, strikers Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo are still worth keeping an eye on for Brentford given Newcastle’s leaky defence. Sporting Index has Toney at 39/25 to score anytime while bet365 is offering odd of 13/5 for Mbeumo in the same market.
Anything else catch the eye?
Brentford have seen BTTS in five of their last six Premier League matches and could be set for a similar outcome at 4/5 with William Hill. Over 2.5 goals can also be considered at 4/5 with Paddy Power.
Brentford have seen more goals before the break in their last two Premier League matches, so the first half can be tipped as the highest scoring half at 23/10 with betfair.
This English Premier League match between Newcastle United and Brentford will be played on Nov 20, 2021 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Newcastle United vs Brentford prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
