Newcastle team news: van Hecke available

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Albion head to St James' Park on Saturday.

Charlie Hanson

2024-10-17T10:30+01:00

Jan Paul van Hecke is available to face Newcastle United. 📷 by James Boardman.

Our men’s team will look to continue their impressive start to the Premier League campaign when they head to Newcastle on Saturday, kick-off 3pm.

The Magpies have an identical record to Albion in the league, with both teams on three wins, three draws and one defeat after their opening seven matches.

Team news

Fabian Hurzeler gave an update on Matt O'Riley, Joao Pedro, James Milner, Adam Webster and Jan Paul van Hecke.

"Hopefully everyone will come back healthy from their international games, we haven’t seen everyone yet. I don't know exactly about Julio [Enciso] and Pervis [Estupinan] – they are the latest arrivals. We will see them today and then we will know more.

Matt O'Riley is making good progress in his recovery from ankle surgery. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

"The injuries for Matt [O’Riley] and Joao [Pedro] will take a little bit more time.

"With James Milner we have to be more patient. Adam Webster is another player who will miss the game against Newcastle. Jan Paul van Hecke will be an option."

Fabian’s thoughts

Do Albion and Newcastle have similar aims?

"We want to achieve great things and I think Newcastle is a big club and they want to achieve great things. We don't try to hide from anyone and we try to go forward. We try to play with courage, we try to act with courage and that's why we also try to go there and win the game.

"But Newcastle is a big club. It's a big challenge for us, I'm really looking forward for this challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing if we can manage the challenge."

Have you been to St James' Park before?

Fabian Hurzeler's team have won three of their opening seven Premier League games. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

"I haven't been, no, but I'm really looking forward to it. I hear all the time it's one of the best atmospheres in the Premier League. After the Amex though, I think St James’ is the second best. So we are really looking forward to going there. It will be a big challenge for sure. It will be intense.

"It's important to have a cool head there. It will be emotional and I think emotions are important for a football game, but in the most important moments, you have to stay calm and you have to think rationally without emotions.

"That's why it will be a mix between having a cool head and an emotional head. Trusting the player’s own quality, trusting the process, focussing on the things you can control, focus on the small things. Then you will gain your self-confidence. That will be the challenge for the Newcastle game."

Match facts

Newcastle are unbeaten in their last three Premier League home games against Brighton (W2 D1), having failed to win any of their first four against them without scoring a single goal (D2 L2).
Brighton have lost just two of their 14 Premier League meetings with Newcastle (W5 D7), though both defeats have come across their last three visits to St James’ Park.
Although they’ve lost just one of their last eight Premier League games (W4 D3), Newcastle are winless in their last three (D2 L1). However, at home the Magpies are unbeaten in their last 11 (W6 D5)

Brighton & Hove Albion v Tottenham Hotspur 06OCT24 .199

Brighton have conceded eight goals in their last three Premier League games (2-2 v Nottingham Forest, 2-4 v Chelsea, 3-2 v Tottenham), one more than they had in their previous eight matches combined. The Seagulls haven’t conceded 2+ goals in more consecutive league games since March 2022 (a run of 6).
Brighton have scored 2+ goals in each of their last three Premier League games, last having a longer such run in January 2023 (5). Indeed, they’ve netted multiple goals in five of their seven league games so far this season, having failed to do so in any of their final 13 games in 2023-24.
Only Nottingham Forest (4) have had fewer shots than Newcastle following a high turnover in the Premier League this season (5), while the Magpies have also faced the most such efforts in the competition this term (18).
No team has conceded fewer second half goals than Brighton in the Premier League this season (2), with their latest goal against coming in the 70th minute (vs Nottingham Forest). However, opponents Newcastle have also shipped a joint-low two goals after half time.
No player has drawn more cards for their fouls won this season than Newcastle’s Bruno Guimarães (6), with the Brazilian also being fouled a league-high 27 times so far this term.
Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma has carried the ball further than any other winger in the Premier League this season (1568 metres). Meanwhile, only Cole Palmer and Jarrod Bowen (8 each) have created more chances following a ball carry than Mitoma (7).
Brighton’s Danny Welbeck has been involved in five goals in seven Premier League appearances this season (4 goals, 1 assist), just one fewer than he managed in 29 matches last term (5 goals, 1 assist).

Match officials

Referee: Peter Bankes. Assistants: Eddie Smart, Nick Greenhalgh. Fourth official: James Bell. VAR: Tony Harrington. Assistant VAR: Constantine Hatzidakis.