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Newcastle United welcome West Ham United to St James’ Park in the Premier League this evening, with a victory strengthening the Magpies’ new-found standing within Champions League contention under Eddie Howe’s management.

Currently third in the table with 39 points and just one solitary defeat across the first 20 matches of the top-flight campaign, Howe’s system could not be more fluid, and his well-oiled high-octane team have emerged as genuine contenders for Champions League qualification.

Victory over West Ham – who in contrast have plummeted from prominence under David Moyes this seasonm winning just five league matches and only one point above the relegation zone – would be another step towards a top-four finish, potentially stretching six points above Tottenham Hotspur in fifth, who face Manchester City on Sunday.

However, Newcastle have been beset with several injuries of late, with Bruno Guimaraes’ suspension after his red card against Southampton in midweek hardly helping matters. Nonetheless, Howe will maintain his belief that this high-flying outfit can overcome adversity and continue to ride towards a monumental finish this season.

Here’s the starting line-up that we expect from the Magpies, with two changes from Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup win over the Saints.

Predicted Newcastle starting XI – Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Willock, Longstaff, Joelinton; Gordon, Wilson, Saint-Maximin

Nick Pope will hold his untouchable place in goal, having kept clean sheets across his past six Premier League matches in succession.

The established back-four will likely also remain unchanged, with Howe seeking to maintain the cohesive resilience which has formed the bedrock of his team’s endeavours. Newcastle have the best defensive record in the top flight, shipping only 11 goals up to this point.

Guimaraes picked up a late red card in the midweek Carabao Cup win and will consequently miss the next three matches; in his stead, Joelinton could move into midfield alongside Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock.

Having signed from Everton for £45m earlier this week, the “frightening” Anthony Gordon – as dubbed by Paddy Kenny – might be in line to make his Newcastle debut, with Allan Saint-Maximin returning on the other flank.

That means the impressive Miguel Almiron could be relegated to the bench after failing to score across his past seven appearances, having netted seven goals in as many league matches during the autumn.

Up front, Alexander Isak was forced off against the Saints after experiencing dizziness, with the 23-year-old having been struck on the head by a fierce James Ward-Prowse free-kick. As such, Callum Wilson could look to add to his six goals this season in the centre-forward role.

Leeds United haven’t offered to match Leicester City’s contract terms to Jack Harrison despite previous reports to the contrary, according to Rob Dorsett.

The Lowdown: Failed Leicester move

Harrison is currently in the final 18 months of his Elland Road contract and came close to making the move to the King Power Stadium on deadline day.

The 26-year-old actually headed south for a medical with the Foxes in case an agreement was reached, but as we know, a transfer failed to materialise, with Leeds backing away from a sale.

The Latest: Dorsett’s update

Dorsett previously stated that Leeds offered to match Leicester’s financial proposal to Harrison.

However, the Sky Sports journalist has now ‘been told’ that the Whites actually haven’t offered to match Leicester’s terms, although Harrison is still expected to sign a new contract soon.

The Verdict: Similar to Llorente?

We saw first-hand that signing a new contract doesn’t guarantee a long-term future at Leeds. Diego Llorente penned new terms back in December but ended up moving to AS Roma last month.

Therefore, the club could have something similar in mind with Harrison, as extending his deal should keep his valuation high. The Whites may even then look into a sale in the summer, especially as they appeared close to doing a deal earlier in the week.

It’ll be one to keep an eye on, and hopefully, an agreement can be reached before the summer, with Harrison currently one of Leeds’ best-performing players, as per WhoScored.

Newcastle United are reportedly ‘very interested’ in signing U21 star Sean Moore, and are preparing to launch a bid for him in the summer.

The Lowdown: Moore profiled

Moore is an upcoming winger who plays in the Northern Irish Premiership with Cliftonville, and has scored three goals and made a further two assists in 25 games in total overall competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt).

After his impressive performances, Moore was called up to the Northern Ireland U18 squad by manager Gerard Lyttle, who says that he is a player that ‘gets fans out of their seats’:

“He has got that pace about him, with a drop of the shoulder and a trick to get away from players. I’ve played with and coached a lot of players that never understood how best to use their pace, but Sean does. He faces defenders up and goes at them. That gets fans out of their seats.”

The Latest: Newcastle interest

As per NUFC Blog, Newcastle are ‘very interested’ in signing Moore in the summer, but face competition from fellow Premier League rivals West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion for his signature, as well as Scottish giants Celtic.

After St. James’ Park scouts watched him closely this campaign, the North East club are ready to launch a bid for Moore this summer, and the 17-year-old has just accepted his first call up to the Republic of Ireland U19s squad, preparing to train in Dublin ahead of March’s Euro qualifiers.

The Verdict: Exciting move

After signing teenage talents Garang Kuol and Harrison Ashby already this season, it is clear PIF want to build for the future not just the here and now, and Moore would be another exciting gem to add to the group.

He is already playing men’s football at Cliftonville, and has performed well in helping them reach the top of the table in Northern Ireland.

The fact that he has had international recognition from two different national teams competing for his future shows his promise, and the Magpies will be very eager to get this deal over the line given the competition that they too are facing.

Leeds United are still without a permanent manager to take over from Jesse Marsch at Elland Road, with former youth coach Michael Skubala taking the reins for forthcoming fixtures.

The caretaker has given glimpses of his capabilities when he led the Whites to a draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford last week, and he has been confirmed as the coach who will lead the team in their must-win relegation six-pointer against Everton at Goodison Park this weekend.

The Whites are teetering on the edge of the Premier League relegation zone, just one point clear of Saturday’s opponents in 18th, so it will be imperative that Skubala picks up the crucial points needed to widen the gap between Leeds and the jaws of potential relegation back to the Championship.

As a result, the precarious position in which they find themselves will require caution from the powerbrokers at the club when appointing the next permanent manager should they do so before the end of the season, as the wrong appointment could be an absolute disaster and cause major uproar should it lead to the drop.

A silver lining has emerged, though, with stalwart Luke Ayling signing a contract extension to remain at the West Yorkshire club until the summer of 2024, which means the new manager will have the experienced right-back at his disposal whenever they take charge at Elland Road.

One manager who has been linked with the head coach vacancy this week is Andoni Iraola, as the Elland Road hierarchy continue talks with the Rayo Vallecano manager, who is set to be out of contract with the Spanish club this summer.

Could Iraola get the best out of Ayling?

The 40-year-old has had a limited managerial career so far, although his invaluable experience as a player could be hugely valuable to Ayling over the remainder of his time at Leeds.

Iraola was a combative right-back in his playing career, tallying 551 appearances, 38 goals and 47 assists. Most of his playing time was earned with Athletic Bilbao, completing 12 years of service with the Basque club before moving onto New York City FC, playing under Patrick Vieira.

The now-Crystal Palace manager held his former player in high regard in terms of his presence on the pitch when coaching him in the latter stages of career in America, saying of Iraola’s qualities: “A lot of players get a lot of credit but the work he does on and off the field deserves recognition.

“There are players who work really hard for the team but never get mentioned and those kind of guys are really quite special because they sacrifice themselves for the team. Andoni is the perfect image of a team player – everyone loves him on and off the field.”

Across 31 MLS appearances in his final season in New York, Iraola tallied a pass completion rate of 87%, registered one assist and completed 72% of his dribbles, along with averaging 56.6 touches, 38 accurate passes, 1.4 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and four successful duels per game, proving to be a huge presence on the pitch right up until he ended his playing career.

The Spaniard could channel that experience, quality and work rate into Ayling by coaching the Leeds stalwart to improve his game even further and give the team their best chance at competing comfortably should they remain in the top flight next season.

If Leeds could secure the prospective appointment of Iraola, it could be massively advantageous to Ayling to have a coach with an expert knowledge of his position and teach him a few things about that particular role in the team.

Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth will no doubt have one eye firmly on the summer transfer window, with the Englishman looking to ensure the Magpies are able to build upon what has been a remarkable campaign thus far.

One potential area that the transfer chief will seemingly be looking to address is at left back, with recent reports having suggested that the Tynesiders are interested in a move for Arsenal ace, Kieran Tierney.

What’s the latest on Kieran Tierney to Newcastle?

As Football Insider reported late last week, the St James’ Park outfit are said to be ‘closely monitoring’ the Scotland international ahead of a potential summer move, with the 25-year-old having lost his place to Oleksandr Zinchenko in Mikel Arteta’s side.

The report suggests that the 5 foot 10 brute – who joined the Gunners from Celtic on a £25m deal in 2019 – could be available for a fee of around £30m if he is to depart in the coming months, despite still having just under three years left to run on his current deal.

Could Tierney be Newcastle’s next Joe Willock?

The hope for Eddie Howe’s side will be that Tierney could prove just as influential as that of another man to have arrived from the Emirates in the recent past in Joe Willock, with the Englishman having shone since his initial loan move in January 2021.

The 23-year-old went on to end the 2020/21 campaign with eight goals to his name in just 14 league appearances for the northeast side, with that devastating tally ultimately proving vital in steering the club firmly away from danger.

While the playmaker has been unable to maintain that hot streak since signing on a permanent deal for a fee of around £25m – scoring only four more goals over the past 18 months or so – he still remains a vital part of Howe’s squad, with the former Bournemouth boss notably stating last month:

“I have been really pleased with Joe. I think he is maturing nicely. I think he’s got really good raw ability. He’s very athletic and has an eye for goal, technically he’s very good and tactically he is improving.

“He has been excellent for me. I have forged an excellent relationship with him and I really like him as a person. I think the big thing with Joe is there’s a lot more to come. And I am excited about his future.”

That impact has been showcased by the fact that Willock has averaged 1.6 tackles per game and laid on five big chances in total so far this season from his 22 league appearances, with his all-action box-to-box style also demonstrated by the fact that he ranks in the top 10% among his European peers for progressive carries and in the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area.

With it clear to see that Newcastle’s capture of the dynamic midfielder has more than paid off, the aim for Ashworth will be to replicate that previous success by bringing in Tierney sooner rather than later, with the former Hoops man able to mirror his ex-teammate in reviving his career at St James’ Park.

The full-back “machine” – as previously praised by journalist Simon Collings – could well mirror Willock in providing Howe with a real relentless presence from the flanks, showcased by the fact that the Isle of Man native ranks in the top 13% for progressive carries.

The £110k-per-week man also offers real quality on the ball as he ranks in the top 7% for progressive passes as a marker of his forward-thinking approach, with that desire to make things happen also illustrated by the fact that the 35-cap monster ranks in the top 16% for attempted passes.

While Tierney’s time in England has perhaps not quite gone to plan as yet – having made just four league starts this season – he previously flourished during his time north of the border, scoring eight goals and laying on 37 assists in 170 games across all fronts for the Old Firm giants.

With the Arsenal man clearly a real threat in an attacking sense, Ashworth and co should seemingly jump at the chance to strike a deal this summer, particularly after seeing the impact that Willock has made in recent years.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Emerson Royal has been torn into on Sky Sports News following his involvement in the big VAR talking point on Sunday.

Why wasn’t Hakim Ziyech sent off?

The main talking point of the London derby on Sunday was the mess created towards the end of the first half by the officials in deciding whether or not Hakim Ziyech would be sent off.

Stuart Attwell showed the Moroccan a red card after minutes of deliberation following the forward’s push on Emerson which caught the Brazilian in the face.

However, the red card was then taken back by Attwell just seconds after he delivered it following a review on the VAR monitor.

Having agreed with the referee’s final decision, Steven Warnock has slammed Emerson for exaggerating the push from Ziyech when speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch:

(7:30) “I thought was embarrassing from Emerson Royal. I was so angry when I saw it because I’m thinking you’re on VAR now everyone can see what you’re doing. To go down off that.. so he instigates the whole thing by running in banging into the back of Ziyech if it was the other way around and Ziyech had run in and done that on Royal, he’d have hit the deck.”

“And the way he hit the deck I’m thinking what are you trying to instigate? Like why would you even try and do that? I thought it was pathetic from Emerson Royal.

“I was made up it got overturned because straightaway I thought you’ve tried to kid on the ref here, but everyone can see it’s so obvious. I was furious. I cannot stand when players do that.”

Should Ziyech have been sent off?

Ziyech was in the middle of the controversy having been involved in the foul leading up to the pushing which saw him hit with a yellow card.

However, it was Kai Havertz who received a warning for the foul with the German the first player to foul Richarlison before Ziyech took him to the ground.

But there will still be controversy as to whether Ziyech’s red card should have been rescinded by the referee with his push catching Emerson in the face.

There is no doubt the push did not have the force to send Emerson to the ground, however, it was apparent the Brazilian was emphasising the fact he’d been caught by a raised hand.

What saved Ziyech is that his push was seemingly destined for Emerson’s upper body before being deflected up into his face.

A lot of Spurs fans may accept this, but the time it took for Attwell to come to his final verdict is something which will surely frustrate fans across the league.

And whether or not there was enough in the push from Ziyech to send Emerson to the ground, it is apparent the Spurs man was wanting the officials to know that Ziyech had raised his hand to him.

Although Warnock was clearly not impressed with Emerson’s involvement, everyone at Spurs will have been delighted by his latest display in the starting XI.

Throughout the game, Emerson won 13 duels, recorded seven tackles and was able to recover the ball on nine occasions.

This is a far cry from the player who was being booed onto the pitch by his own fans just a matter of months ago.

Matty Longstaff is reportedly ‘set to leave’ Newcastle United on a free transfer this summer.

The Lowdown: Contract expiring

The 22-year-old’s contract is set to expire in the summer, meaning that he can leave St James’ Park as a free agent.

He is currently ruled out with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that he picked up while on loan at Colchester United earlier in the season, and it is not clear when he will be able to return.

The Latest: ‘Set to leave’

As per Football Insider, Longstaff is ‘set to leave’ for free this summer, as Newcastle are ‘not planning’ to offer him a new contract.

He is ‘attracting interest’ from suitors in the Championship and League One, and the player himself thinks that he will move on from his boyhood club.

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The Verdict: Time to go…

Given his ACL injury, it is unlikely that Longstaff will be able to feature again this season, and seeing as he will soon be out of contract, it seems like the right time to move him on.

The 22-year-old has only made 20 senior appearances at St James’ Park and has been sent out on loan three times in the past two seasons (Transfermarkt).

Hailed by journalist Josh Bunting as ‘aggressive driving forward’ and a ‘good player on the ball’, Longstaff has produced some good moments in a Newcastle shirt, most notably scoring the winner against Manchester United on his Premier League debut in October 2019.

Spotted at Wembley to cheer on his team against the Red Devils in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday despite his injury, Longstaff has been a great servant to the club, but unfortunately it is the right time for him to go.

Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara suffered a tibialis anterior muscle injury during his side’s win over Crystal Palace, according to Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Kamara injured in win

Unai Emery’s side battled their way to a 1-0 victory at home to the 10-man Eagles on Saturday afternoon, as they continue to make progress under the Spaniard.

An own goal from Palace centre-back Joachim Andersen proved to be the difference between the two sides, although it wasn’t a day to solely focus on the positives.

Unfortunately, Kamara was forced off just before the hour mark, with concern surrounding the severity of his injury.

The Latest: Preece shares injury update

Taking to Twitter, Preece said that the midfielder suffered a leg problem on Saturday, suggesting he could be set for a lengthy absence from the team:

“Here’s the early diagnosis from #avfc on Boubacar Kamara, it appears to be the tibialis anterior muscle, the muscle by your shin bone. Unai Emery was also asked about his options in CM ahead of West Ham next week.”

The Verdict: Big loss for Villa

This is a cruel setback for Kamara, who has been a strong signing since coming in from Marseille last summer, making 18 starts in the Premier League in total.

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Earlier in the season, Dan Rolinson claimed that the 23-year-old was Villa’s best midfielder ‘by a mile’, such were the level of his performances, and he has arguably justified his £150,000-a-week salary.

For that reason, the loss of Kamara through injury is a major blow for Emery and the hope is that he is available again before the end of the campaign, having averaged 2.5 tackles per game in the league.

Alasdair Gold has highlighted a worrying moment for Tottenham Hotspur as Richarlison was unhappy to give Harry Kane the ball before his penalty kick.

The Lowdown: Spurs pick up crucial victory

After a run of three successive poor results and performances, Antonio Conte got exactly the response he would’ve wanted from his side as they gained a much-needed three points this weekend.

Richarlison was handed an arguably surprise start against Nottingham Forest after his explosive comments in midweek about his season and Conte, but he certainly repaid the manager and showed what he’s capable of, although he still has areas to improve on having lost possession 11 times during 84-minute showing (Sofascore).

The Brazilian won the penalty for Spurs’ second goal and set up Son Heung-min for the third goal, while also seeing one of his own strikes cruelly ruled out for offside by VAR.

The Latest: Richarlison desperate to get on the scoresheet

After winning the spot-kick in the first half, Gold noticed that Richarlison was not entirely happy about handing Kane – the club’s reliable penalty-kick taker – the ball, although he did eventually bow to the pressure.

Gold said: “Porro then found Kane again to play a nutmeg pass to Richarlison who was brought down in the box. The Brazilian didn’t seem delighted about giving the ball over to Tottenham’s penalty taker but he did and Kane duly guided his first spot kick since the World Cup down the middle.”

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The Verdict: Conte will be pleased with Richarlison’s response

After his explosive rant following Spurs’ Champions League exit, many may have not known what to expect from Richarlison, but his manager will be delighted that he seems to finally be getting a tune out of his £60m ace, who looked like a ‘man possessed’ during his latest outing.

While Richarlison will have been desperate to get on the scoresheet as he’s still yet to score in the Premier League for Spurs, he surely knew that at 1-0, Kane was the only person who was going to be taking the penalty.

Richarlison can’t simply be wanting to take over penalty duties when he sees fit, especially given how shockingly bad he’s been in the final third for Tottenham this term, so it’s certainly going to be a learning curve.

Manchester United may be forced to rely on Harry Kane to force an exit from Tottenham Hotspur if they are to sign him in the summer.

Do Tottenham want to sell Harry Kane?

The England captain's future is being questioned heavily at the moment with just one year remaining on his current deal with the north London club.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, the reliable Fabrizio Romano has admitted the Lilywhites are completely against the idea of allowing Kane to leave in the summer.

This comes amid interest from the Red Devils with Erik ten Hag believed to be pushing for the 29-year-old striker ahead of the summer transfer window.

But the Italian journalist has insisted if a move is to happen it may need Kane to force his way out of N17 to open Spurs up to discussions with United.

He said: "On Manchester United's side, I can say that he's really appreciated by Manchester United; he is also appreciated by Erik ten Hag. So they really like the player – not just Man United, also other clubs around Europe.

"But the reality is that, from what I understand, Man United also know that Tottenham, at this stage, don't want to negotiate [over] Harry Kane. So the only way to see Harry Kane leaving Tottenham and joining Man United or any other club is for Harry Kane to decide and for Tottenham to tell Man United 'okay, we want to negotiate'."

What striker should Man United sign in the summer?

It is apparent the Red Devils will be going into the summer transfer window with a striker at the very top of their list on the back of Cristiano Ronaldo's exit last year.

In place of the Portuguese superstar, Wout Weghorst has stepped in and has been given a consistent run of games for United in which he has returned just two goals (via Transfermarkt).

And this has only emphasised the need for a reliable goalscoring option up top with Marcus Rashford carrying the weight of the responsibility in front of goal this season.

However, Kane is not the only striker who United have been linked with ahead of the summer.

Napoli's Victor Osimhen is another name which is believed to be on their radar and the 24-year-old could certainly provide Ten Hag with a much younger option that could serve as a long-term option in the United side.

The Nigerian is enjoying a stunning campaign in Italy this season with the striker having already provided the league leaders with 19 goals in his 22 appearances (via Transfermarkt).

But Osimhen would still come with some risk having never played in the Premier League before and that is the certainty that signing Kane would likely provide United.

Osimhen is still young and will continue to develop, but Kane has demonstrated his all-round game which the Nigerian is not quite able to match at the moment.

Kane has racked up almost double the number of passes per 90 and provided a higher amount of shot-creating actions per game (via FBref).

Putting Kane into a side with the likes of Rashford who can run on in behind the defence is surely a mouthwatering prospect for Ten Hag.