A battle between two sides harbouring European ambitions takes centre stage at St James’ Park this Saturday evening as Newcastle United look to halt a bruising winless run against a high-flying Brentford side.
The Magpies return to Tyneside after a “week to forget”. They recently exited the Carabao Cup at the hands of Manchester City and suffered a heavy 4–1 defeat at Liverpool. Eddie Howe’s side sits in 11th place and is desperate to rediscover its “chaotic spark” at home. Conversely, Brentford arrive as one of the division’s most in-form teams. Having beaten Aston Villa while down to 10 men last weekend, the seventh-placed Bees are just three points shy of the top six.
Newcastle United vs Brentford – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 7 February 2026
- Kick-off: 17:30 GMT
- Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle
- Referee: Andy Madley
- VAR: John Brooks
- Last Meeting: Brentford 3–1 Newcastle (9 Nov 2025), Premier League
Team News
Newcastle United
Eddie Howe confirmed captain Bruno Guimarães has trained and is “pretty good” for a potential start. However, Anthony Gordon is expected to miss out after an injury during the midweek cup tie. The Magpies remain heavily depleted with Joelinton (thigh), Fabian Schär (ankle), and Valentino Livramento (thigh) all sidelined.
Brentford
Manager Keith Andrews will be without forward Kevin Schade due to a suspension following his red card. Long-term injury victims Fabio Carvalho and Josh Dasilva also remain unavailable. In positive news, Dango Ouattara should keep his place after his heroics last weekend. Nathan Collins could also return to the defence after shaking off a minor knock.
Form
Newcastle United
The Magpies have turned St James’ Park into a fortress against today’s opponents. Notably, Newcastle have won nine of their last 10 home matches against Brentford across all competitions. Since Eddie Howe took charge, Newcastle have won 20 home games against London sides—more than any other Premier League club. However, they have lost their last two league games and look to avoid a third consecutive defeat for the first time since early 2024.
Brentford
The Bees arrive as the division’s efficiency kings. Notably, Brentford’s xG per shot is 0.16, the best by any team in the last five seasons. Only league leaders Arsenal have earned more points than Brentford over the last eight matchdays. Furthermore, the Bees have the joint-best defence in the league over that period. This fixture traditionally promises goals, averaging 4.1 goals per game in the Premier League era.
Predicted Lineups
Newcastle United Predicted XI: Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Ramsey, Tonali, Willock; Elanga, Wissa, Barnes
Brentford Predicted XI: Kelleher; Kayode, Van den Berg, Collins, Henry; Yarmolyuk, Henderson; Jensen, Janelt, Ouattara; Thiago
How to Watch Newcastle United vs Brentford?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. Coverage starts at 17:00 GMT.
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