Match Preview: Brentford v Newcastle United | OneFootball

Brentford conclude their 2023/24 Premier League campaign with a visit from Newcastle United on Sunday (4pm kick-off).

The Bees are looking to climb above Everton and finish in 15th, while Eddie Howe’s side are in the hunt for European qualification for a second successive season.

Analysis, team news, match officials and more – here’s everything you need to know ahead of the final weekend.

Pre-match Analysis

Alex Lawes, Playmaker Stats: In-form Brentford looking to finish the season with a flourish

Gtech Community Stadium plays host to Brentford’s final game of what has probably been their trickiest season since arriving in the Premier League, but the Bees are looking to finish with a flourish.

For much of the campaign they have underperformed against their expected goals, which can actually be viewed as a positive, as it suggests their performances would and should have them higher in the table if not for issues such as injuries, suspensions and general bad luck.

With players returning from injury or suspension and that bad luck potentially beginning to revert to the mean, Thomas Frank’s side have begun to get improved results as the season draws to a close.

The Bees' 2-1 victory at Bournemouth last weekend, in which Yoane Wissa notched a 95th-minute winner, means they have now suffered just one defeat in eight matches since the March international break - only Arsenal (4) and Manchester City (5) conceding fewer Premier League goals since then than Brentford (7).

Brentford once again showed their effectiveness in the final third with an expected goals rate of 1.93 against Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth (1.07).

According to understat.com, Brentford’s expected goals this season stands at 62.59, which is 8.59 more than their goals in reality. They have also conceded over four goals more than expected.

If the Bees had notched 62 goals in the Premier League they would be the eighth top scorers in the entire division with only the actual top seven scoring more than them with one game to go – such has been their profligacy or bad luck in front of goal and why they will be confident ahead of next season.

One of those seven teams above them are Newcastle United as the Magpies, under the management of Eddie Howe, chase back-to-back European qualifications. They have been likened to Kevin Keegan’s ‘entertainers’ of the 1990s with their 37 games this season producing a total of 141 goals.

In what has been a high-scoring Premier League season generally, Newcastle have been among one of the very best teams to watch at both ends of the pitch and they, like Brentford, are finishing in exciting fashion.

Prior to the Magpies' 3-2 defeat at Manchester United on Wednesday, Newcastle had suffered just one defeat since returning from the March international break, scoring four or more goals in a game on four occasions in that time.

So, with the summer looming and a pleasurable end-of-season atmosphere in store, Sunday's clash could well be a bit of a thriller.

Scout Report

European qualification still on the cards for Newcastle heading into Gtech finale

Expectations were high at St James’ Park going into the 2023/24 season.

In the first full campaign after Newcastle were taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the Magpies had finished fourth in the Premier League for the first time in two decades and secured European qualification for the first time since they reached the quarter-final of the Europa League in 2012/13.

In truth, the progression from their status as a bottom-half team to one challenging the usual suspects at the top again probably happened significantly sooner than many expected - but few on Tyneside have complained about it.

“We want the supporters to dream,” said Eddie Howe when his team stuck five past Aston Villa on the opening day.

Such dreams were put on hold until after the September international break, given the three straight defeats that followed.

Newcastle returned with a 1-0 win over Brentford on 16 September; the first in a run of seven wins over the next 10 games - including an 8-0 win at Sheffield United, which set a new club record for the biggest away league win in history.

They were in the top six - and deservedly so - at the beginning of December, despite being rocked by the 10-month ban handed down to Sandro Tonali by the Italian Football Federation, after the midfielder breached Italian betting rules.

But a period between early December and mid-January threatened to detail their campaign altogether. Not only did goalkeeper Nick Pope dislocate his shoulder - and become sidelined for five months - the 3-0 home win over Fulham was the sole highlight in a run of six defeats in seven league games.

To add insult to injury, the 2-1 loss to AC Milan in the final Champions League group game meant they finished bottom and missed out on the chance to drop into the Europa League to continue their long-awaited European adventure, with a shootout defeat to Chelsea also dumping them out of the Carabao Cup at the quarter-final stage.

“There's not a lot wrong with our performances. You can see today we are a top team,” said Howe after the 3-2 defeat to Man City on 13 January. “The group is in a good place, I don't see any negativity. I see hurt because we aren't winning and that's what we're here to do.”

Fortunately for Newcastle, their form improved greatly since the winter break and they have picked up 28 points of the last 48 on offer.

Challenging for a place in Europe again next season is very much on the cards going into the final day. That is despite the fact they have been dealt a shocking hand on the injury front. Pope is back in contention again now, but four players - Lewis Miley, Matt Targett, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles - were ruled out for the season in March, and question marks remain over whether Fabian Schär and Callum Wilson will play any further part.

Fast progression has forced Newcastle to embark on a steep learning curve this season and, while they will not reach the same great heights as last year, this term will certainly serve as a benchmark for something to improve upon next season and beyond.

In the Dugout

Eddie Howe

Before turning his hand to management for the first time, Eddie Howe had a 13-year playing career as a defender, with all but two of his 312 senior appearances having been made in a Bournemouth shirt.

He was, however, forced to retire prematurely at the age of just 29 at the end of the 2006/07 season.

By this time, he was already managing the Cherries’ reserve team, which he continued to do until September 2008, when manager Kevin Bond was sacked, concluding his time at the club, too.

Before long, he had been re-hired as a youth coach and, in January 2009, was appointed first-team manager after a short spell as caretaker, following Jimmy Quinn’s sacking.

The odds were stacked against Howe; Bournemouth were second bottom of League Two on New Year’s Day - having been handed a 17-point deduction at the start of the year.

Yet, he managed to guide his team to 12 wins from the final 21 games, which saw them miraculously survive by nine points.

Howe’s side were promoted to League One the following year but, in January 2011, he left the south coast for Burnley, where he stayed until October 2012, before returning to Bournemouth to take over from Paul Groves.

He, essentially, picked up where he left off, securing promotion to the Championship in April 2013 and to the Premier League for the first time two years later.

Bournemouth were relegated from the Premier League, after five consecutive seasons, in 2020, leading to Howe’s departure from Vitality Stadium by mutual consent.

After a 15-month break, he took over from Steve Bruce at Newcastle in November 2021, with the 3-3 draw against Brentford his first official game in charge, though he had to watch the game from a hotel room after contracting Covid-19.

He is currently the 14th longest-serving manager in the country after just over two and a half years in the job and recently took charge of his 100th top-flight match as Newcastle boss.

The Gameplan

With Chris Waugh, Newcastle United correspondent for The Athletic

Chris Waugh, Newcastle United correspondent for The Athletic, explains how Eddie Howe is likely to set up his side on Sunday:

“Generally, Howe plays with a 4-3-3 - he has played 4-4-2, but I suspect he will stick with the former.

“Alexander Isak will play through the middle and Anthony Gordon and Miguel Almirón will be either side of him, if the latter is fully fit.

“Bruno Guimarães and Joelinton will be back in the midfield with Sean Longstaff.

“Then, in the back four, Dan Burn will be one of the centre-backs and, if Fabian Schär does not return to fitness, it will be Emil Krafth alongside him, even though he is an out-and-out full-back.

“Kieran Trippier should be back by then to play at right-back, with Lewis Hall at left-back and possibly even Nick Pope back in goal, too.”

Last time out v Manchester United (4-3-3): Dúbravka, Trippier, Krafth, Burn, Hall, Longstaff, Guimarães, Anderson, Murphy, Isak, Gordon

Read our full interview with Chris Waugh

Match Officials

Hooper handed fifth Bees assignment of the season

Referee: Simon Hooper

Assistants: Adrian Holmes and Simon Long

Fourth official: Gavin Ward

Video assistant referee: Paul Tierney

Additional video assistant referee: Natalie Aspinall

Simon Hooper, who tried to make it as a professional footballer in his youth, has taken charge of 30 Brentford games as both he and the Bees have worked their way up the divisions.

Hooper's most recent Brentford assignment was the 1-1 draw with Manchester United on 30 March.

The experienced Wiltshire referee has taken charge of 34 games this season, showing 135 yellow cards and three reds.

Last Meeting

Newcastle United 1 Brentford 0 (Premier League, 16 September 2023)

Callum Wilson’s second-half penalty proved the difference as Brentford’s unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign was ended by Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

The striker converted from 12 yards following a coming together between Mark Flekken and Anthony Gordon for the only goal of the game.

The hosts also had a goal disallowed and another penalty decision overturned by VAR, but the Bees were by no means second best for the 90 minutes.

Thomas Frank’s side had a number of openings - the best of which fell to Aaron Hickey, Vitaly Janelt and Yoane Wissa - but could not make them count.