Newcastle United vs Burnley. Premier League.
St James' Park, NewcastleAttendance51,948.
Newcastle will be without the suspended Ciaran Clark; Burnley welcome back defender James Tarkowski and midfielder Ashley Westwood; follow Newcastle vs Burnley in our dedicated live match blog; watch free match highlights on Sky Sports digital platforms and YouTube channel after full time
Saturday 4 December 2021 16:52, UK
Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Newcastle vs Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday; kick-off 3pm.
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe will be without the suspended Ciaran Clark for Saturday's Premier League clash with fellow strugglers Burnley.
Clark was sent off just nine minutes into Tuesday night's 1-1 draw with Norwich and must sit out as a result, although fellow central defender Jamaal Lascelles and wing-back Matt Ritchie are available after serving one-match bans against the Canaries.
Howe will otherwise assess a series of bumps and bruises, but defender Paul Dummett (calf) is his only remaining absentee.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche will welcome back defender James Tarkowski and midfielder Ashley Westwood from suspension.
Both players missed the midweek draw with Wolves after their bans were delayed by the postponement of Sunday's game against Tottenham.
Forward Ashley Barnes remains out due to a thigh injury and defender Phil Bardsley, who missed the Wolves game with an unspecified problem, is doubtful. Midfielder Dale Stephens, who has had Covid-19, is also set to miss out.
Follow Newcastle vs Burnley in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel after full time.
Never have a team with seven or fewer points after 14 games avoided relegation from the Premier League. It might just be 'one of those seasons' for the Toon Army, judging by a 1-1 draw with Norwich earned despite Ciaran Clark's decision-making. Newcastle looked solid enough with 10 men until Teemu Pukki's outstanding finish but, for the first time, their relegation odds - 4/7 with Sky Bet - look fair enough to me. Eddie Howe has a massive job on his hands.
Burnley are usually very hard to beat in these 'six-pointer' scenarios. In the last three seasons in 28 games against teams that finished that season in the bottom five, Burnley have lost just three of those games, winning 16 at a healthy strike rate of 57 per cent. Two of those defeats can be excused, too, as a 4-2 reverse at Fulham came early in the season and the 1-0 loss at Sheffield United at the end of last season was very much a dead rubber. When it matters, Burnley can be relied upon to deliver in a relegation scrap.
That experience and know-how in the dressing room makes the away win very appealing at 21/10 with Sky Bet.
There is also a spot of value in the goalscorer markets to be seized upon, with Jonjo Shelvey looking revitalised and trusted to be a key player since Eddie Howe came through the door. He's had seven shots on goal in his three appearances under Howe, striking the bar at Arsenal and whipping one just over the bar in the early stages of the draw with Norwich. Shelvey is likely to be on free-kicks, too, so the 7/1 anytime quotes significantly underrate his chances of finding the net.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2
BETTING ANGLE: Jonjo Shelvey to score anytime (7/1 with Sky Bet)
Peter Smith is joined by Sky Sports News Midlands reporter Rob Dorsett, features writer Nick Wright and football journalist Oliver Yew to look ahead to the Premier League weekend.
PART 1 | Rob Dorsett discusses Steven Gerrard's impact at Aston Villa, the club's ambitious plans, and the reasons behind Leicester's underwhelming start to the season.
PART 2 | Nick Wright assesses the problems facing Rafa Benitez at Everton and what Mikel Arteta must do to get a misfiring Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back in form.
PART 3 | Oliver Yew reflects on Bernardo Silva's brilliant performances for Manchester City, the strength in depth at Pep Guardiola's disposal, and whether there's a chance of an upset at Watford.
