Newcastle v West Brom preview: Baggies can add to Magpies misery

Newcastle are out to end a run of eight straight defeats when they take on West Brom at St James' Park on Saturday.

While Tony Pulis’ Baggies look to have secured their Premier League status for another season, Newcastle’s dreadful run means they have plummeted from the safety of mid-table to find themselves in the middle of the relegation mire.

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John Carver’s outburst following the defeat to Leicester last weekend in which he turned on a number of his players showed the strain he is under and the desperate situation the Magpies find themselves in.

They can take some confidence from the fact that they ran out 2-0 winners at The Hawthorns in the reverse fixture, Ayoze Perez and Fabricio Coloccini the goalscorers.

Team news

Papiss Cisse could return to the Newcastle squad for Saturday's crucial clash.

The Senegal striker is available after completing a seven-match ban for spitting at Manchester United defender Jonny Evans, although he has been nursing a knee problem which may limit his involvement.

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Rolando Aarons could join him after playing 45 minutes for the under-21s in midweek following six months out with a hamstring injury, but defender Paul Dummett (hamstring) and frontman Adam Armstrong (calf) are doubts, while defenders Mike Williamson and Daryl Janmaat are suspended as a result of their red cards at Leicester last weekend.

Midfielder Siem de Jong (thigh) is ruled out.

Tony Pulis will assess his squad in the north-east before naming his West Brom team.

The head coach admitted he has "one or two" doubts for Saturday's game but refused to name the players and the Baggies will train on Friday afternoon, after travelling from the Midlands.

Ben Foster remains the Baggies' long-term absentee with a knee injury which is expected to keep the England keeper out until October.

Opta facts

Papiss Demba Cisse has scored three goals in just 199 minutes of Premier League action against West Brom.

Victor Anichebe has scored more Premier League goals against Newcastle United than he has versus any other opponent (four).

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Cisse has scored a goal every 92 minutes on average this season, the best rate of any player with five or more goals in the top flight.

The Magpies have won 10 and lost just three of the 17 Premier League matches against West Brom.

John Carver’s side have won just one of their eight Premier League games at St James Park under his guidance (W1 D2 L5) and lost the last four in a row.

Newcastle have only ever lost five home games in a row once before in their league history (October 1953 when they lost six on the trot).

The Magpies have lost eight successive league games for only the second time in their history (10 in Aug-Oct 1977 the most).

Chris Brunt has a league-high eight assists from set-pieces this season in the Premier League.

A league-high 28% of Newcastle’s Premier League goals this season (10 of 36) have been scored by substitutes.

Newcastle United have conceded the most goals in the 90th minute or later in the Premier League this season (seven) and haven’t scored themselves at this point of games.

Merson's prediction

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I am going to go for a 1-1 draw here. West Brom’s win at Old Trafford last Saturday was a big result for them, meaning that Tony Pulis’s men are now nearly safe. And so I think they will therefore be happy to settle for a point at St James’ Park, and I also think that result would suit Newcastle, so I am going to go 1-1.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (9/2 with Sky Bet)

Betting

Sky Bet make Newcastle marginal favourites at 6/4 despite their woeful form, with West Brom 9/5 to heap further misery on the St James’ Park faithful with a win. Having been 100/1 a matter of weeks ago, John Carver’s men are now just 5/1 for relegation, with Burnley, QPR and Sunderland currently favourites for the drop. Papiss Cisse is considered the hosts’ most likely source of a goal at 11/2 to break the deadlock, with Saido Berahino favourite in the first goalscorer market at 5/1.

Soccer Saturday Price Boost: Aston Villa, Hull & Leicester all to win, was 9/1, NOW 12/1.