West Ham United will host Newcastle United at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon, desperate to get their stuttering season back on track.

West Ham United have lost five of their last six matches in the Premier League, and they are struggling with a lack of form and confidence ahead of the game vs Newcastle United at the London Stadium.

The Hammers are 19th in the Premier League table and one of the favourites to go down this season. A club of their status should be aiming for a more respectable position on the table, and the East London outfit will be desperate to bounce back.

On the other hand, Newcastle United are coming into this game on the back of three wins in a row across all competitions. The Magpies have picked up five victories from their last six matches in all competitions. They will be full of confidence and momentum here. Newcastle United will look to pile further misery on West Ham United and pick up an important win away from home.

The Tyneside outfit are unbeaten in five of the last six meetings with West Ham, and they will certainly fancy their chances of getting all three points here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

West Ham United

David Moyes has a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Oliver Scarles is the latest absentee after picking up a shoulder injury last weekend against Leeds United. The teenage prospect has joined Konstantinos Mavropanos, George Earthy, and Niclas Fullkrug in the treatment room, with the trio recovering from hamstring injuries.

West Ham United will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Newcastle United, with Alphonse Areola in goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Max Kilman will form the central defensive partnership alongside Jean-Clair Todibo.

As for the midfield unit, Tomas Soucek will start alongside Soungoutou Magassa in the double pivot. They will look to add defensive cover and physicality to the midfield. Mateus Fernandes will start as the attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goal-scoring chances for his teammates.

Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville will add creativity, flair, and goals from the flanks. Finally, Lucas Paqueta will spearhead the West Ham United attack vs Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Diouf; Soucek, Magassa; Bowen, Fernandes, Summerville; Paqueta

Newcastle United

Valentino Livramento picked up a knee injury recently, and he will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. Lewis Hall and Yoane Wissa have been ruled out as well. Newcastle United will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs West Ham United, with Nick Pope in goal.

Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn will start as the full-backs. The wide duo will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw will start in the heart of the defence for the away side.

As for the midfield unit, Bruno Guimaraes will start in the centre of the park alongside Sandro Tonali and Joelinton. The Brazilian will look to add creativity and control, while Tonali looks to provide defensive cover and physicality. Joelinton will add drive and workrate to the side.

Nick Woltemade will lead the line for Newcastle United vs West Ham United, with Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon on either side of him. So, Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga will be backup options on the bench.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Botman, Thiaw, Burn; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Murphy, Woltemade, Gordon

Key Stats

• West Ham United have lost five of their last six matches in the Premier League.
• West Ham have conceded at least twice in five of the last six matches in the Premier League.
• 22 goals have been scored in the last six matches between West Ham United and Newcastle United.
• West Ham have picked up just one win from their last six matches against Newcastle United. The Magpies are unbeaten in 5 of the last 6 matches against West Ham.
• Newcastle have picked up five wins from their last six matches in all competitions.

Player to Watch

Nick Woltemade

Embed from Getty Images

The German international striker is our key player to watch out for. Woltemade has been in spectacular form since joining Newcastle United, and he will look to add to his goal tally for the 2025/26 season.

The 23-year-old could cause all sorts of problems for a fragile West Ham defence. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net. He could make a defining impact in the final third and help his team win the away match.

Prediction

West Ham United 1-2 Newcastle United

Both teams will look to pick up a win here, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. Newcastle United are the better team, and they are the team in form. They will be the favourites to pick up all three points here.

The home fans will demand a strong reaction from the West Ham players, and they are likely to put up a fight here. However, the Hammers are struggling with a lack of form and confidence, and they are likely to come up short. Newcastle United are expected to pick up a narrow win away from home. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Nuno Espirito Santo and his charges.