NEWCASTLE UNITED'S sluggish start to the season has been one of the surprises of the new campaign and they will be hoping the international break came at the right time, ahead of their weekend clash with Brentford.
Eddie Howe spent around £130 million this summer on the likes of Harvey Barnes, Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento and 14th place after four games isn't ideal, especially after losing three in a row.
The Geordies started with a fantastic 5-1 win over Aston Villa and losing at Manchester City was understandable, but they have since lost at home to ten-man Liverpool and away at Brighton.
Newcastle's midfield in particular looks disjointed and they have been a disappointment so far with so much expected by the Toon Army after last season's efforts.
Brentford won't be easy opponents either and the draw specialists are unbeaten this season. They have shared the spoils with Spurs, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth as well as Newport County in the League Cup.
But they went to Fulham and romped to a 3-0 win so there are plenty of signs of encouragement for Thomas Frank's side who look set to enjoy another season of overachievement and they've managed this without the banned Ivan Toney
How the bookies view it
Newcastle United are heavy odds-on favourites here at 8/15 with Coral.
Brentford can be backed at 5/1 with bet365 and the draw is 10/3 with William Hill.
Recent head to heads
Newcastle won both of last season's encounters – 2-1 in London and 5-1 at St James' Partk.
Brentford's last win in Newcastle came in 1934!
Players to watch
Harvey Barnes has been the centre of attention this week after it was revealed he was considering switching international allegiances from England to Scotland. He is 2/1 to score anytime with bet365.
Bryan Mbeumo has done a good job of making the Bees fans forget about Toney with four goals in five games so far this season. He is 10/3 to score anytime with UniBet.
Anything else catch the eye?
With Newcastle just not clicking so far and Brentford being a well-organised tough nut to crack, it could be worth backing the visitors to draw again in the north east.
Brentford have also scored in every game this season and both teams to score has landed in three of Newcastle's four games and four out of five for the visitors.
Therefore, the 10/13 on offer from UniBet on both teams to score looks like a solid investment.
Newcastle have been quite a physical team this season – they have collected at least four cards on their own in three of their four games this season. So keep an eye on the home card markets nearer Saturday.
This English Premier League match between Newcastle United and Brentford will be played on Sep 16, 2023 and kick off at 17:30. 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.
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