Newcastle vs Brighton: Preview, Prediction & Betting Picks

Newcastle welcomes Brighton to St. James' Park in what will be an important fixture in the race for European soccer.

Date: 5/11/24

Kick-off time: 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Venue: St. James' Park

The hosts have enjoyed some excellent form lately, which has allowed them to climb up the table. Four wins in five games has put them in a very strong position to finish in the top six, though victory against Brighton is a must, with Chelsea and Manchester United just behind them in the standings. With Tottenham's recent poor form, they could also look ahead to fifth place, trailing them by four points with two games to go. However, their fate would be out of their hands in this scenario.

Brighton had long been in the fight for European soccer, but have struggled in recent weeks, which has seen them slide down the table. Before their victory against Aston Villa last time out, the Seagulls had been winless in six. As a result, they are now 11th, with a place in the top seven a distant dream.

Goals are likely in this game, with the Magpies hot in attack, while the visitors are having a hard time keeping the ball out. Eddie Howe's men have scored at least four goals in three of their last four games, while Brighton have conceded at least three in three of their last four. Newcastle's offensive potency is largely helped by the play of striker Alexander Isak, who has netted five in his last four. He is the club's top scorer on the season with 20 goals. Only Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer have scored more in the league. Joao Pedro's recent return from injury has given Roberto De Zerbi a huge boost, with his eight goals still leading the way for his side despite his absence.

Since 2020, these two sides have met eight times in the top flight. Brighton just edge the head-to-head, with three wins to Newcastle's two. One of these victories came in the reverse fixture earlier this season, as they triumphed 3-1 at home. Evan Ferguson scored a hat-trick before Callum Wilson pulled one back late in second-half stoppage time.

Newcastle Team News

Newcastle Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles have long-term knee injuries, while Joe Willock and Fabian Schar are both set to miss the remainder of the season. Kieran Trippier could make his long-awaited return this weekend, after Newcastle were boosted by the returns of Nick Pope, Joelinton, and Miguel Almiron last week.

Brighton Team News

Brighton There are a number of season-ending injuries for Brighton, including Kaoru Mitoma and Pervis Estupinan. James Milner and Tariq Lamptey have no return dates.

Newcastle Form Guide

In their last five games, Newcastle have won four and lost one. It has been a dominant stretch for Newcastle as they strengthened their position in the top seven. Their most recent game was a convincing 4-1 win at relegation-threatened Burnley. The Clarets had made a good start, but goals from Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, and Alexander Isak condemned them to a large defeat. Dara O'Shea pulled one back late on.

This followed another huge win, 5-1 at home to already-relegated Sheffield United. The visitors actually took the lead through Anel Ahmedhodzic, but five unanswered from Isak (x2), Guimaraes, Wilson, and a Ben Osman own goal turned it around. Their only defeat of this run came away at Crystal Palace, falling 2-0. Palace dominated in shot attempts, though Newcastle edged the possession. Jean-Philippe Mateta's brace proved the difference in the 2-0 win.

They dealt a blow to Tottenham's Champions League hopes with a 4-0 win over the North Londoners. Spurs were extremely dominant in possession, enjoying 73% of the ball overall, but Isak broke the deadlock after half an hour, before Anthony Gordon doubled the lead almost instantly. A third was scored by Isak shortly after the restart, and Fabian Schar added a fourth late on to complete the rout. The first game of this run was a narrow 1-0 victory at Fulham. The hosts were superior in possession, and attempted more shots, however, could not find a breakthrough. The winning goal came late on, with Guimaraes' 81st-minute strike the winner.

Brighton Form Guide

In their last five games, Brighton have won one, drawn one and lost three. It has been a brutal stretch for the Seagulls as they have seen themselves slide down the table. Their most recent game was a home fixture against Aston Villa, in which they won 1-0 thanks to a late Joao Pedro goal, after he rebounded from his missed penalty.

This followed a disappointing 3-0 loss at Bournemouth. They had dominated possession, but failed to take advantage of their opportunities and struggled at the back. Marcos Sensi, Enes Unal and Kluivert were the goalscorers. This was the second heavy defeat in a row after they fell 4-0 at home to Man City. Kevin De Bruyne broke the deadlock, before Phil Foden scored a brace to extend the lead before the break. Julian Alvarez added a fourth in the second half to complete the rout. They dropped points once more with a 1-1 draw at Burnley. The goals came late, with Josh Brownhill putting the hosts in front with 16 minutes to go. The equaliser was scored by goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, who converted into his own net.

The run began with another game without scoring a goal as they lost 3-0 against Arsenal at the Amex. It was a dominant victory for the Gunners, as they dominated throughout. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot, before the lead was doubled by Kai Havertz. Former Seagulls winger Leandro Trossard added a third late to put the cherry on top for the visitors.

This is an important game for Newcastle in the race for European football, and we expect them to improve their position with a comfortable victory. Brighton have struggled of late and fallen down the table, and their woes will continue away from home – Newcastle 3-0 Brighton

Newcastle vs Brighton will be available to watch on the Peacock Network (An NBC live-streaming Platform)