Newcastle have looked like a bit of a mixed bag this season, having some brilliant results already, such as a 1-0 win over Arsenal, but also losing to Fulham, Brighton and Chelsea in quick succession.
The Magpies have averaged 49.1% possession so far this season which happens to be the 11th highest in the Premier League. They have also averaged 12.6 shots per game (6th fewest in the top-flight), and conceded 14.5 shots per game (7th highest in the division).
Eddie Howe’s side take on West Ham on Monday night, and if they are to get a result, their main concern will entail stopping Jarrod Bowen. But with a few players missing, who exactly is available for Newcastle against West Ham?
Newcastle team news vs West Ham
Dan Burn is a big omission, as he serves a suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the season during Newcastle’s 3-1 win against Nottingham Forest before the international break.
Other defensive options such as Sven Botman, Emil Krafth and Jamaal Lascelles are also unavailable, due to their various injuries, leaving the Magpies relatively short in defence.
Kieran Trippier is another defender who remains a doubt for the game, with Callum Wilson also likely to miss out, meaning the Toon could be without six players against the Hammers.
Luckily, Howe could have the perfect man to slot into defence, to help deal with Bowen, but also to solve their injury and suspension woes.
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Newcastle’s solution to Dan Burn’s suspension
Lloyd Kelly has barely played for the Magpies since joining on a free transfer in the summer, only playing 387 minutes in his nine appearances so far this season, with only three of those appearances being Premier League starts.
But it’s Kelly and Lewis Hall that could lock down that left side of defence for Newcastle against West Ham, stunting the progression of Bowen, and stopping him from cutting inside onto that devastating left foot of his.
Vitally, this wouldn’t be the first time Kelly has been trusted with dealing with one of the league’s best wingers. Indeed, ex-manager, Gary O’Neil, praised him back in 2023, labelling the defender as “incredible” for keeping Mohammed Salah quiet against Liverpool.
This is precisely the type of job Howe will be asking for from Kelly on this occasion, in tandem with Hall to keep Bowen quiet on that right wing for the Hammers.
Kelly vs Burn comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats (per 90 mins) | Kelly | Burn |
Progressive Carries | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Progressive Passes | 2.61 | 1.27 |
Passes Attempted | 42.6 | 54.6 |
Pass Completion % | 79.6% | 89.7% |
Tackles | 0.87 | 0.82 |
Blocks | 1.74 | 0.73 |
Interceptions | 0.23 | 0.63 |
Aerial Duels Won | 1.30 | 3.73 |
Stats taken from FBref | ||
With Burn out, Kelly would fill in at left centre-back, with Hall playing next to him at left-back -a position he has made his own as of late.
The metrics above tell us that Kelly can provide a similar level, if not even more, in defensive actions. However, his passing accuracy is quite a bit lower than Burn’s, and therefore, whoever is the partner for Kelly in defence will need to have extra ball-playing responsibility.
The 6 foot 3 defender can offer that same physical and height in defence that Burn brings, whilst also having the ability to cover the channels better, with slightly more mobility, and the same experience as Burn had, playing as a left-back at times last season, which will help him cover for Hall if Bowen does get past that first line of defence.
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