1 Newcastle United vs 0 Southampton
Tonali nears return as Newcastle prepares to host Southampton.
Newcastle faces newly promoted Southampton at St. James' Park this Saturday at 15:00 [GMT+1], with the Magpies aiming for a promising start to their Premier League campaign amidst high hopes and fresh signings, while the Saints look to mark their top-flight return with a decisive performance.
Newcastle United
After a disappointing finish outside the top four, Newcastle are hoping to finish further up the table this term.
Before the start of the new season, the Magpies secured the signatures of Lewis Hall [€33 million] and goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos [€23.6 million] from Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, respectively. Meanwhile, an impressive pre-season outing saw Newcastle suffer defeat only once, despite playing five club friendlies.
Saturday’s clash against newly promoted Southampton could present a different kind of challenge, although the Magpies have won seven of their last nine Premier League matches against the Saints. In addition, an impressive record against recently promoted sides promises to inspire confidence on Saturday. Newcastle have lost just one of their last 20 Premier League games against promoted sides [11W, 8D, 1L].
Furthermore, having won their last two opening games in the Premier League, a win here would leave Newcastle with three successive opening-day victories.
In attack, Isak, who ranked 3rd on the list of highest goal scorers last season, will team up with Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy when Howe deploys the 4—3—3. While Newcastle will be without as many as five players, including Callum Wilson and Sven Botman, Sandro Tonali looks set to return from his lengthy ban.
'The club has received formal confirmation from the Federazione Italiana Guioco Calico (FIGC) that the player's sporting sanction will run up to and including Tuesday, August 27," said Newcastle.
Southampton
Southampton, on the other hand, are making their return to the Premier League after a year’s absence. Saints’ boss Russell Martin will be looking to make his mark in the top flight after spells at Milton Keynes Dons and Swansea City.
With Premier League football at their doorstep, Southampton made investments by adding Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Manchester City for €23 million and Flynn Downes from West Ham for €17 million. Meanwhile, Ché Adams and Duje Caleta-Car left the club for Torino and Olympique Lyon, respectively.
The Saints had an impressive pre-season tour, with a 7-1 win over Eastleigh being one of the highlights. However, Saturday’s Premier League clash against Newcastle will present a different kind of challenge for Russell Martin’s side, who have managed just one victory in 18 visits to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle [1W, 4D, 13L].
The 38-year-old manager hopes to have a few players back in the squad and is expected to deploy a 3-5-2 with Adam Armstrong and Ben Brereton in attack. "Kamaldeen is nearly fit, Ross Stewart is nearly back in contention, and Adam Lallana is nearly back, so they’re in a really good place," he said in an injury update.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.