🏏 Sun, 17 May 2026 17:30 BST
Newcastle United
vs
West Ham United
4-2-3-1 vs 3-4-2-1
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- A direct relegation-battle clash with both sides' fates on the line. Newcastle sit 14th on 46 points, 3 points clear of 16th-placed Nottingham Forest (43 points, having played one more game), while West Ham are 18th on 36 points, 15 points ahead of 19th-placed Burnley (21 points) but only narrowly clear of 17th-placed Tottenham (38 points). Newcastle have just 1 win, 3 losses and 1 draw in their last five (L-L-L-W-D), and West Ham too are out of form with 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses (W-D-W-L-L), so three points are essential to stay in safe territory.
- In this season's Matchday 10 meeting, West Ham cruised to a 3-1 home win. Jarrod Bowen (RW, 29), Tomas Soucek (CM, 31) and others scored to inflict a humiliation on Newcastle. For Newcastle this becomes a home revenge match, and they will want to pay back the previous result backed by the St James' Park crowd.
- Callum Wilson (ST, 34) faces his former club Newcastle. West Ham's No. 9 is a former England forward who joined from Newcastle on a free transfer this season, with sharp runs in behind and accurate finishing as his weapons. While he eyes a goal against his old club, the Newcastle defence knows their former ace's movement well, and how Sven Botman (CB) and Malick Thiaw (CB) shut him down is one to watch.
- The battle for midfield control is Bruno Guimaraes (CM, 28) and Sandro Tonali (CDM, 26) against Tomas Soucek (CM, 31) and Mateus Fernandes (MF). Brazil international Guimaraes builds the attack with outstanding passing vision and technique, while Italy international Tonali controls the game from the base of midfield. Czech Republic international Soucek, despite his 192cm frame, covers midfield widely with abundant running and is also a strong header of the ball.
- West Ham's back three features Axel Disasi (CB), Konstantinos Mavropanos (CB) and Jean-Clair Todibo (CB, 26). Todibo in particular is a France international centre-back who arrived via Barcelona and Nice, with elegant ball control and clever positioning as his strengths. Against them, Newcastle's young William Osula (ST, 22, Denmark international) leads the line, unsettling the defence with hold-up play using his tall frame and runs in behind.
- West Ham's wing-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka (RB, 28) starts on the right. A defensive right-back signed from Manchester United, his one-on-one defending is among the world's best, with a tackle success rate near the top of the league. While his battle with Harvey Barnes (MF) on the left is one to watch, on the opposite flank Jarrod Bowen (RW, 29) looks for goals with his left-footed cut-in shots as club captain.