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Key events
Newcastle make one change to the starting XI named for the 2-1 League Cup win over Southampton. Bruno Guimaraes is suspended, so Allan Saint-Maximin takes his place. Anthony Gordon is on the bench, ready to make his debut, while Alexander Isak misses out altogether having been concussed against the Saints.
West Ham also make one change, from the XI sent out to beat Everton 2-0 a fortnight ago. Kurt Zouma is injured so Thilo Kehrer takes his place.
The teams
Newcastle United: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Longstaff, Saint-Maximin, Willock, Almiron, Wilson, Joelinton.
Subs: Gordon, Dubravka, Dummett, Lascelles, Ritchie, Lewis, Fraser, Murphy, Anderson.
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West Ham United: Fabianski, Kehrer, Ogbonna, Aguerd, Coufal, Paqueta, Rice, Emerson, Bowen, Benrahma, Antonio.
Subs: Johnson, Cresswell, Fornals, Lanzini, Downes, Ings, Soucek, Hegyi, Anang.
Preamble
West Ham United won this fixture 4-2 last season. Few fancy them to repeat the trick this time round. Newcastle United are flying, ahead of schedule in third place and high on life after reaching their first cup final for 24 years. Nick Pope hasn’t let in a Premier League goal for six matches; the team are unbeaten in the league in 15, and haven’t lost at home since April. Ask the 8-ball: all signs point to yes why aye.
Nothing’s ever that cut and dried, though, is it? So here’s some hope for West Ham: Newcastle have only scored one goal in their last four league games, and they struggle when Bruno Guimaraes, suspended for this game, isn’t playing, failing to win any of the three previous matches in which the brilliant Brazilian has been absent. The Hammers are also coming off the back of a morale-boosting win over Everton that gave them some much-needed breathing space at the bottom of the table. The Toon go into this as hot favourites, but as they pour forward, David Moyes will doubtless have a rope-a-dope plan. Set up nicely, then. Kick off is at 5.30pm GMT. It’s on!
