Newcastle predicted line up vs Nottingham Forest: Gordon and Isak easy calls but surprise Tonali decision
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Newcastle will head to the City Ground this weekend to take on a Nottingham Forest side flying high at the moment, sitting third in the Premier League after 10 games - few would have thought that the Tricky Trees would be this high when the fixtures were released. They might not be thinking of Europe at the moment, but the fact that they are up there will keep that thought at the back of their minds as they continue to punch above their weight and enjoy a strong start to the campaign.
Eddie Howe’s side, however, are also back in form after ending a five-game winless run with by back-to-back wins. They beat Chelsea in the League Cup convincingly before repeating the feat against Arsenal in the Premier League a few days later with a thoroughly convincing performance.
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Hide AdThey will hope to finish this stretch before the international break with another win, which could take them as high as sixth if other results go their way. With three points at stake, we take a look at who could be named in Eddie Howe’s latest starting XI.
Goalkeeper and defenders
There’s a saying: if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. So, Nick Pope will remain in goal as the club’s first-choice ‘keeper, having proven his reliability over the years, there are some who felt he could have been better against Chelsea away for the second goal he conceded but he’s Howe’s man and he will keep his post. He will be supported by the lively Tino Livramento at right-back, Lewis Hall at left-back, and the central defensive pairing of Fabian Schär and Dan Burn. While there have been concerns about Burn’s pace, he more than makes up for it with his footballing intelligence and positional awareness.
Midfielders
This is where Newcastle have had a lot of success in the last two games, thanks to the creativity of their midfield. Expect Bruno Guimarães to be at the heart of the team, flanked by the hardworking Joe Willock and the dependable Sean Longstaff. In there is a blend of the brilliant creativity and the hard work you need to win game. Italian Sandro Tonali misses out.
Attackers
Newcastle always perform well when their talisman, Alexander Isak, plays well. He’s not only back but is also scoring goals having found the back of the net in the last three games, so he’ll be up front alongside Anthony Gordon and Joelinton. Gordon and Joelinton to provide the width that is required to find some joy against the stubborn Forest defence.
Pope, Livramento, Hall, Burn, Schär, Bruno, Willock, Longstaff, Gordon, Isak, Joelinton.
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