In a glowing appraisal ahead of our visit to the London Stadium on Sunday in the Premier League, West Ham manager David Moyes has hailed Newcastle as one of the top teams in Europe.
West Ham’s 2-1 victory over Freiburg in Germany not only fortified their position in their UEFA Europa League group but also marked an unprecedented 17-game unbeaten streak for any English club in Europe.
This achievement is particularly resonant, considering the Hammers clinched their first significant trophy in over four decades earlier this year in Prague when they won the UEFA Conference League.
Meanwhile, Newcastle supporters are obviously buzzing with excitement after the 4-1 triumph against PSG. A win which will go down in the annals of history as one of the club's very best.
Despite West Ham's recent European coronation, Moyes showed no reservations in acknowledging Newcastle's quality, particularly under the stewardship of Eddie Howe:
"It (Newcastle’s 4-1 win over PSG) is a night in Europe which will be remembered for so long. We had a great night here a few years ago against Sevilla. And there are nights in the club’s history like that, and I think Newcastle had that against PSG.
When you start to get involved in Europe. The Premier League becomes a difficult cycle because of the extra games. I think it is very difficult to explain how tough that is.
I think Newcastle are one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. There is so much quality in their side and the manager has done such a good job. He has steered them into a good organisation and shape and I think they are up with some of the best teams in Europe at the minute."
We're struggling to disagree with any of that from Moysey! What a job Eddie Howe is doing.
With the Hammers sitting just one place and one point ahead of Newcastle in the 2023/24 Premier League table, it promises to be a keenly fought contest at the London Stadium.
The Magpies head into the game on the back of four successive victories over Sheffield United, Manchester City, Burnley, and Paris Saint-Germain, while West Ham have chalked up three wins in a row over Lincoln City, Sheffield United, and SC Freiburg.
With both teams in good form and an abundance of talent on the pitch in both the home and away ranks, we're expecting goals. It's easy to see why 1-1 is the bookies' choice as the final score, it could genuinely go either way (though Newcastle are slight favourites).
PL | GD | PTS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Liverpool
|
12 | 16 | 31 |
2 |
Manchester City
|
12 | 5 | 23 |
3 |
Chelsea
|
12 | 9 | 22 |
4 |
Arsenal
|
12 | 9 | 22 |
5 |
Brighton
|
12 | 5 | 22 |
6 |
Tottenham Hotspur
|
12 | 14 | 19 |
7 |
Nottingham Forest
|
12 | 2 | 19 |
8 |
Aston Villa
|
12 | 0 | 19 |
9 |
Fulham
|
12 | 0 | 18 |
10 |
Newcastle United
|
12 | 0 | 18 |
11 |
Brentford
|
12 | 0 | 17 |
12 |
Manchester United
|
12 | 0 | 16 |
13 |
Bournemouth
|
12 | -1 | 15 |
14 |
West Ham United
|
12 | -4 | 15 |
15 |
Everton
|
12 | -7 | 11 |
16 |
Leicester
|
12 | -8 | 10 |
17 |
Wolves
|
12 | -8 | 9 |
18 |
Ipswich
|
12 | -10 | 9 |
19 |
Crystal Palace
|
12 | -7 | 8 |
20 |
Southampton
|
12 | -15 | 4 |