BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: St James’ Park Date: Sunday, 28 October KO 15:00
TEAM NEWS
Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote serves the first game of a three-match suspension for his dismissal against Sunderland.
Boss Alan Pardew will recall a number of players rested during Thursday’s Europa League game with Club Brugge.
West Brom may welcome back Chris Brunt and Billy Jones, but Claudio Yacob is doubtful with a hamstring injury.
Jerome Thomas, who has not featured this season because of a knee problem, is also back in training.
MATCH PREVIEW
A year ago Newcastle entered the final week of October unbeaten and deserving of their lofty top-four position. The pre-season predictions of gloom had long since dissipated and it was European, not Championship, football which already beckoned.
They ultimately finished a magnificent fifth and the reward for those efforts means they’ve become accustomed to a more punishing Thursday/Sunday schedule.
Six points down on where they were after eight games 12 months ago, it may be possible to attribute that deficit to their Europa League exploits.
The argument gathers even greater momentum when considering that their two league defeats this campaign have both followed a European assignment, albeit that the two reverses came at the hands of the top two, Chelsea and Manchester United.
There’s long been a belief that the Europa League is a double-edged sword, where the reward for the previous season’s exploits can have an energy-sapping effect on the subsequent campaign.
Alan Pardew has been keen to disprove that theory and the Magpies’ latest win against Club Brugge was achieved with nine different players to the 11 who had started at Sunderland four days earlier.
West Brom, meanwhile, are currently six points above where they were a year ago. Promoted as runners-up to the Geordies in 2010, they’ve also finished both seasons since comfortably above the drop-zone.
They were also one of only three sides to win at St James’ Park last campaign – the other two subsequently won the Premier League and Champions League respectively.
If the Baggies can repeat last year’s result on Tyneside, then maybe they might take Newcastle’s lead and begin to re-adjust their target well beyond simply consolidation.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
At least four goals have been scored in six of the last seven premier league meetings (Premier League and Championship) between the two sides.
West Bromwich Albion’s 3-2 win at St James’ Park was their only victory at the venue in their last 11 league visits.
Newcastle have won just one of their last seven matches with West Brom in all competitions.
Newcastle
Newcastle have won only one of their last seven Premier League games (W1, D4, L2).
However, Alan Pardew’s side have lost just two of their last 14 Premier League home games.
Demba Ba has scored six of Newcastle’s nine league goals so far this season. Hatem Ben Arfa (2) and Yohan Cabaye (1) have scored the others.
Newcastle have 10 points from their first eight league games – six fewer than they had at the equivalent stage of last season.
West Brom
The Baggies are looking for their first Premier League away win of the season and have won only one of their last nine away league games (1-0 at Anfield in April).
They have scored just two away league goals this season, the joint-lowest in the Premier League with West Ham, Aston Villa and Norwich.
West Brom have 14 points from their first eight league games – their most at this stage of a top-flight season since 1982-83 when they also had 14.
Albion boss Steve Clarke took charge of Newcastle United for one game as caretaker manager in 1999 – a 5-1 defeat by Manchester United.
BBC Sport
