Newcastle United will aim to continue their strong home form when they welcome relegation-threatened West Ham United to St James’ Park on Sunday in a crucial Premier League encounter.
The Magpies head into the clash after showing signs of improvement in recent weeks. Eddie Howe’s side secured an impressive 3-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion before battling to a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest last time out.
Newcastle’s attacking strength at St James’ Park has been one of the highlights of their campaign, with the hosts scoring at least twice in 13 of their 18 home league matches this season. Harvey Barnes is pushing for a starting role after scoring against Forest, while speculation surrounding Anthony Gordon’s future continues following reports linking him with Bayern Munich.
Newcastle United has shared on their official X account training photos ahead of their Premier League home match against West Ham United on May 17, 2026, at St James’ Park in matchweek 37.
Despite their attacking quality, Newcastle remain vulnerable defensively late in matches, having conceded 20 goals in the final 15 minutes of Premier League games this season.
West Ham, meanwhile, arrive on Tyneside under huge pressure in the relegation battle. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side suffered a controversial 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend after Callum Wilson’s late equaliser was disallowed following a VAR review.
The Hammers have now failed to score in their last three away league matches and remain inside the relegation zone heading into the penultimate weekend of the campaign. However, West Ham can take confidence from recent meetings, having beaten Newcastle both home and away across their last two encounters.
With Newcastle looking to finish the season strongly and West Ham desperate for survival points, Sunday’s contest promises to be tense and competitive.
Team News
The omission of Anthony Gordon from the first eleven made Newcastle headlines last weekend, and Howe’s looking at the future comments suggest that the winger who has reportedly agreed a deal with Bayern Munich will watch on from the bench again.
Barnes is certainly in contention to replace Jacob Murphy after netting the opener as a substitute against Forest, his 16th goal of the season in all competitions and 21st direct involvement of 2025-26.
Lewis Miley, Emil Krafth, Tino Livramento and Fabian Schar remain on the sidelines, while Joelinton is also a new concern, having sustained a minor thigh injury during the week.
West Ham should enter the penultimate matchday with almost same group of players, although winger Adama Traore will not be involved after sitting out the Arsenal defeat due to a quadriceps injury.
Santo’s switch almost paid dividends against the league leaders, so a similar setup here cannot be ruled out.
Wilson’s celebrations were for nought last weekend, but the ex-Newcastle man has already produced the goods against one former club this season, netting twice against Bournemouth in November.
Possible Lineups
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Pope; Hall, Thiaw, Botman, Burn; Tonali, Guimaraes; Barnes, Woltemade, Ramsey; Osula
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Hermansen; Todibo, Disasi, Mavropanos; Wan-Bissaka, Soucek, Fernandes, Diouf; Bowen, Summerville; Castellanos
How to Watch
| Channel | Region | Kickoff Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sky Sports Main Event | United Kingdom | 05:30 BST |
| SuperSport Premier League, DStv Now | Nigeria Africa | 05:30 WAT |
| NBC sports | USA | 12:30 ET |
Match Prediction
Softfootball predicts Newcastle United 2-1 West Ham United
West Ham’s desperation could make this a difficult contest for Newcastle, but the Magpies’ attacking quality and strong home form may prove decisive.
