Newcastle United cruised to victory on Wednesday night, but will face a much tougher test against Brentford this weekend.
Eddie Howe‘s side made it four wins in a row by beating West Ham during the week, and now Newcastle have the chance to make it five.
However, Brentford will ask a lot more questions of the Magpies, as they enjoy a sensational season of their own. Under the guidance of Thomas Frank and powered by the goals of Ivan Toney, Brentford sit ninth in the Premier League.
They still have a chance of qualifying for Europe, which would be an incredible achievement for the Bees.
It is going to be incredibly difficult for Newcastle to pick up another three points in the capital, and pundit Paul Merson is expecting a very tight affair.
Paul Merson thinks Newcastle will draw with Brentford
As part of his latest column for Sportskeeda, Merson has predicted the results of the upcoming Premier League fixtures. He believes Brentford against Newcastle will be a 1-1 draw.
“This is going to be a good football match and it’s hard to call because Brentford can beat anybody on their day,” he wrote.
“A draw could seem harsh on Newcastle, but Brentford haven’t lost too many matches at home.”
Newcastle battered the Bees earlier this season
While this will be a very difficult game, Newcastle can take confidence from their recent form and their previous fixtures against Brentford.
Eddie Howe’s side absolutely battered the Bees earlier this season, winning 5-1 at St James’ Park. Bruno Guimaraes put on an absolute clinic that day, and will hope for a similar performance in West London.
The last time Newcastle played at the Gtech Community Stadium, the Magpies returned north will all three points. Howe’s side beat Brentford on the road last season, with goals from Joelinton and Joe Willock giving us a 2-0 win. However, we were aided by an early red card for Josh Dasilva.
Merson expects a draw, but Howe will be going there to win. If we can pick up another three points, it will be another giant step towards Champions League qualification.
