The Magpies travel to Luton Town this weekend, where they will look to apply pressure on the top four with a win. The last meeting between the two sides was in the 2018 FA Cup, when Newcastle won 3-1.
Luton
Despite only being above Burnley and Sheffield United by a point with just nine themselves, the Hatters seem to have performed slightly better than their fellow promoted teams.
Luton have struggled in both an attacking and defensive sense this season, which has cost them dearly. Rob Edward’s side has only scored 17 goals in 16 games, while also conceding an average of two per game.
Last time out, Luton’s game versus Bournemouth was abandoned due to an incident involving Tom Lockyer.
Newcastle
Eddie Howe’s side is feeling the side effects of competing in Europe and in domestic competitions this season, with the players fatigued and picking up injuries. This has had a negative impact on Newcastle’s standing, and they sit sixth in the table with 29 points.
The Magpies have been solid defensively, conceding just 1.24 goals per game on average, but mistakes have crept in recently. Luckily, they’re scoring for fun and have the joint third-best goal tally in the league, 36.
Howe’s team played on Tuesday evening in the EFL Cup, where they suffered a defeat to Chelsea on penalties. Callum Wilson scored early, and Newcastle were content with holding onto the lead before conceding with seconds to go.
Verdict?
Luton have only won one of their eight matches at Kenilworth Road, but it hasn’t been an easy venue to visit for the big dogs. Newcastle are also extremely poor on the road, winning just one of their eight away games. This tie may be closer than expected.
The final prediction is Luton 0-2 Newcastle.
