West Ham vs Newcastle United: Nuno sack could be unavoidable after defeat to worst possible opponent | OneFootball

West Ham welcome Newcastle to the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon, desperate for a spark after a lifeless run that has drained both energy and belief from Nuno Espírito Santo’s side.

Four straight home defeats tell their own story, but the manner of them has been worse. Brentford and Leeds both cut straight through the middle, exposing a midfield pairing of Tomas Souček and Lucas Paquetá that looks too easy to bypass.

The lack of legs in that area has become a glaring issue, and Newcastle are the last team you want to face when that’s the case.

Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali bring relentless power and purpose, capable of overrunning opponents who can’t match their intensity.

Nuno has struggled to find the right formula since arriving, not helped by injuries and his own questionable calls.

Players have been used out of position, while potential sources of goals like Mateus Fernandes and Callum Wilson have been left out when the team needed them most.

Without a dramatic improvement in their shape and discipline, Newcastle’s midfield could run riot.

How to watch West Ham vs Newcastle United

West Ham vs Newcastle kicks off at 14:00 (UK) on Sunday, November 2, at the London Stadium. The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting from 1pm.

West Ham team news

Nuno will be hoping for reinforcements after another disjointed performance at Elland Road.

Konstantinos Mavropanos could return to the starting lineup after missing the defeat to Leeds, and his presence would be a welcome boost for a defence that has conceded at least twice in every home game this season.

Fernandes is pushing to start, with Souček and Paquetá struggling to cover ground in midfield. His energy could be vital against a Newcastle side that presses high and breaks quickly through the middle.

Further forward, Wilson is expected to lead the line after returning to full fitness.

Crysencio Summerville and Jarrod Bowen will operate either side, while Paquetá is likely to move back into a creative role behind the striker.

West Ham expected line-up

(4-2-3-1) Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Mavropanos, Walker-Peters; Fernandes, Souček; Bowen, Paquetá, Summerville; Wilson.

Newcastle United team news

Eddie Howe has fewer problems to contend with, though he’ll assess Sven Botman, Lewis Hall, and Yoane Wissa, all carrying knocks. Tino Livramento remains out long term.

The Magpies look balanced and confident after three clean sheets in five matches and goals in seven straight.

Their midfield trio of Guimarães, Joelinton and Tonali has been the driving force, combining physicality with control.

Up front, Anthony Gordon will be the main outlet from the left, supported by Murphy and Woltemade in a fluid attacking line.

Newcastle United expected line-up

(4-3-3) Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn; Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton, Tonali; Murphy, Woltemade, Gordon.

West Ham vs Newcastle United stats

– West Ham have lost four consecutive home games in the Premier League, conceding at least two goals in every match.

– The Hammers have made their worst ever Premier League start after nine games, collecting just four points.

– West Ham have conceded the most goals in the league (20) and faced the second-most shots (133), with an xGA of 15.2 — the second-worst in the division.

– Souček and Paquetá have been out-run by their opponents in six of the last seven games. West Ham’s average distance covered per match ranks bottom five in the Premier League.

– Newcastle are unbeaten in their last six visits to the London Stadium (W4 D2) and have lost only once in eight trips there overall.

– Eddie Howe’s side have three clean sheets in their last five matches and have scored in seven straight across all competitions.

– Seven of Newcastle’s last 13 league goals have been scored in the final 15 minutes.

West Ham vs Newcastle United predictions

West Ham look short on belief and even shorter on balance. The midfield continues to leave gaps that opponents exploit with ease, and Newcastle have all the tools to do the same.

Howe’s side play with tempo, power and purpose through the middle, and this is exactly the kind of game where their intensity should overwhelm a struggling opponent.

Guimarães and Joelinton set the tone, while Gordon and Woltemade stretch the back line and drag defenders out of position.

Unless Nuno finds a quick fix, it’s hard to see how West Ham live with Newcastle’s energy. The visitors are creating high-quality chances in volume again and have a strong record in this fixture, unbeaten in six at the London Stadium.

We’ll take Newcastle -1 handicap at 17/10, as lesser sides have been making light work of the Hammers.