Newcastle vs Burnley predictions: Magpies to grind out victory
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- Newcastle have kept four straight clean sheets in all competitions
- Burnley have taken only one point from their first five league games
- Recommended bet: Newcastle to win & under 3.5 goals
A disappointing start to the season for Newcastle is soon looking on the up after back-to-back Premier League wins over Brentford and Sheffield United and midweek's Carabao Cup victory over champions Manchester City.
The Magpies had lost three of their first four league matches, struggling to emulate last season’s form which had seen them qualify for the Champions League.
However, performances have improved and supporters will be excited for the week ahead with Saturday’s St. James' Park showdown with Burnley followed by a Wednesday visit from French powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain.
Eddie Howe will be keen to see his side maintain the winning run ahead of that Champions League clash with PSG, but this is also an important fixture for Burnley.
Vincent Kompany’s Clarets have found life tough in the Premier League following last season’s Championship-winning campaign and have taken only one point from their first five games.
The early schedule has not been kind to Burnley, who have already lost to Manchester City, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United, but a trip to Tyneside is no easy place for them to start the turnaround.
Team news
Newcastle’s summer signing Harvey Barnes is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, alongside Swedish defender Emil Krafth and Joe Willock.
There are also doubts over Callum Wilson, Sven Botman and Alexander Isak, who will all face late fitness tests.
Dan Burn should be available despite recent illness and Bruno Guimaraes is expected to overcome an ankle issue.
Burnley are set to be without midfielder Manuel Benson while Lyle Foster completes a three-game ban.
Darko Churlinov, Hjalmar Ekdal, Michael Obafemi and Nathan Redmond have also been ruled out while Johann Berg Gudmundsson is a doubt with a muscle problem.
The stats
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Newcastle are unbeaten in four games in all competitions and have kept four straight clean sheets following Wednesday’s 1-0 EFL Cup win at home to Manchester City.
The Magpies have lost only three of their last 23 home games in the Premier League, with those reverses coming against Arsenal and Liverpool twice.
Newcastle are unbeaten in each of their last 15 league matches versus newly-promoted opposition, including all 12 fixtures since appointing Howe.
Burnley, meanwhile, have picked up only one point from their first five Premier League matches and have conceded 13 goals.
The Clarets have failed to score in two of their four league defeats against Manchester City and Manchester United.
Burnley have failed to win on their last nine away trips to Newcastle.
Prediction
Newcastle will be sweating on the fitness of Wilson and Isak, hoping to have at least one of their star strikers ready to start, but they should still have too many weapons for Burnley.
Home advantage is a huge aid for the Magpies, who have suffered only five defeats in 36 top-flight games at St James' Park under Howe.
With four straight clean sheets, Newcastle are defending resolutely and they can edge a low-scoring encounter against a Burnley side that is still seeking a first win of the campaign.
The Clarets have lost four of their five league matches and that includes defeats to nil against both Manchester clubs, suggesting they may struggle to find a route past former goalkeeper Nick Pope.
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