West Ham United's quest to remain in the Premier League takes them to Tyneside, where they face Newcastle United at St. James' Park on Sunday.
Eddie Howe's side can finish no higher than eighth in the table and are mathematically safe from relegation, so have little to play for going into the penultimate game of the season. A 1-1 draw away to Nottingham Forest last time out saw Elliot Anderson deny his former club with a late goal.
West Ham meanwhile, were left to recover from the VAR drama that saw a late equaliser ruled out in their 1-0 loss at home to Arsenal. Tottenham Hotspur went on to draw Leeds 1-1 post that game, which means Nuno Espirito Santo's side are only two points behind with two games to go.
Here's everything you need to know about Sunday's game.
How to watch:
The match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the UK, NBC / Peacock in the U.S., JioHotstar in India and Stan Sport in Australia. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.
Key Details:
Kick-off time: Sunday, May 17 at 5:30 p.m. BST (12:30 p.m. ET; 10 p.m. IST; and 2:30 a.m. AEST, Monday).
Venue: St. James' Park, Newcastle
Referee: Jarred Gillett
VAR: Craig Pawson
Injury and Team News:
Newcastle United
Joelinton, M: thigh, DOUBT
Emil Krafth, D: knee, OUT
Tino Livramento, D: leg, OUT
Fabian Schär, D: ankle, OUT
Lewis Miley, M: leg, OUT
West Ham United
Nuno Espirito Santo has a full squad to choose from
Talking Points:
Can West Ham find their focus after VAR drama?
Nuno Espirito Santo expresses his frustration over the overturning of West Ham's late goal and the consistency of refereeing decisions in the Premier League.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side were left enraged after a VAR review saw Callum Wilson's injury-time equaliser against Arsenal ruled out in their most recent game. Plenty of debate has followed since, questioning the foul on David Raya with the physical nature of corners in the Premier League this season.
West Ham have plenty to feel aggrieved about, but even a draw would have kept them behind Spurs in the relegation zone, albeit only a point behind instead of two. With Spurs facing a trip to Chelsea and hosting Everton on the final day of the season, Roberto de Zerbi's side could potentially lose both matches against teams pushing for European spots.
The Hammers meanwhile, face a Newcastle side they have already beaten this season (coincidentally this was Espirito Santo's first win as West Ham boss), and a Leeds side with nothing left to play for. The route for survival exists, and West Ham need to put aside the controversy of the previous week if they are to stay in the PL.
They matched the Premier League title challengers blow-for-blow in the previous game (1.15 xG vs 1.18 xG) and similar performances could see them leapfrog Spurs and thus stay in the league.
Will Anthony Gordon get on the pitch for Newcastle?
Despite Newcastle United still entertaining slim hopes for Europe (which would require Aston Villa winning the Europa League and finishing fifth, while Manchester City win the FA Cup) with an eighth-placed finish, Eddie Howe chose to keep a fit-again Anthony Gordon on the bench in their 1-1 draw away to Forest. It was the second game in a row that Gordon, Newcastle's most productive player this year, remained on the bench.
Howe described his decision as 'tactical' after the game, saying he needed Joelinton's defensive nous out wide. However, the Newcastle boss also mentioned he had an eye on the future, which perhaps reveals that Gordon is on his way out of the club this summer, having been heavily linked with Bayern Munich.
The game against West Ham is the club's last at St. James' Park this season, and Howe might be inclined to give the players on their way out of the club a chance to say goodbye. Given Joelinton's ongoing thigh problem, Howe may have no other option but to play Gordon on the left in this game.
West Ham's issues with finding the net
Espirito Santo's side have failed to find the net in three of their last four games. with Tomás Soucek's goal from a corner and Callum Wilson's injury-time winner against Everton the only goals in that span. West Ham average 0.96xG per game in that four-game period, while allowing 1.40xGC. Those aren't sustainable numbers if West Ham are hoping to find a much-needed victory in their final two games.
Two draws would see the Hammers equal Spurs' 38-point total, but Tottenham would have to lose by a cumulative 11 goals if West Ham are to survive on goal difference. Only a victory will do for the Hammers -- which means they need to score more than they usually do.
That Konstantin Mavropanos has scored 3 of West Ham's last seven goals in the league is an indictment of their football, and Espirito Santo ought to hope his attacking wealth that includes the likes of Jarrod Bowen find their scoring touch sooner rather than later.
Newcastle's penchant for dropping points
No other Premier League team has dropped more points from winning positions this season than Newcastle United (27). If you add that to their points total, the club would be sitting third in the table (73 pts), looking forward to UEFA Champions League football.
Instead, Eddie Howe's are currently thirteenth in the table, with their 46 points a dismal outing. This was the case in Newcastle's previous game as well - they were heading for an impressive 1-0 win away to Forest before Elliot Anderson's 88th minute strike levelled matters.
Newcastle have wilted late in games - 40% of the goals they have conceded this season have come in the final 15 minutes of their games. Defending is clearly an issue, with the club having kept only one clean sheet in their last 14 league games.
While fans are clamouring for attacking signings this summer, Howe might be better off with a squad refresh on the defensive side of things.
What do the numbers say?
In addition to dropping the most points from winning positions (27) in the league, Newcastle have also gained the fewest from losing positions (3).
West Ham have done the double over Newcastle only twice in the league before (1998-99, 2018-19)
Tomás Soucek is aiming to become only the second Czech player to make 50 goal contributions in the PL (41G, 8A). He has scored against Newcastle (5) more than any other opponent.
Newcastle haven't lost consecutive league games at home against West Ham since 1998.
Harvey Barnes has scored 16 goals this season, the highest of his career. With 5 assists this season, he is three goal involvements away from the most productive season of his career (2021-22 with Leicester, 11G, 13A).
