OPINION
West Ham United dropped to 14th place in the Premier League after the 4-0 loss to Manchester City on Saturday and they will no doubt want to return to winning ways when they take on Newcastle this weekend.
However, the Magpies have just recorded their third win on the bounce after a 2-1 victory over Burnley on Monday night, so they will no doubt prove to be an obstacle in the Hammers’ bid to get all three points.
Manuel Pellegrini will need to be smart with his team selection in order to get one over Newcastle on Saturday, as they will no doubt be a very stern test for whatever starting XI he decides to field – with two .
In goal, Lukasz Fabianski must start as normal.
The Chilean must field the same back four that he did against City, bar one player – he must axe Arthur Masuaku in order to accommodate space for Aaron Cresswell – who is 28-years-old – to start on the left side.
However, he will definitely have to make a couple of changes to his midfield, with Pedro Obiang – who is on £55,000-a-week [Spotrac] – being the most notable casualty here, with Mark Noble taking his place alongside Declan Rice.
Grady Diangana must retain his spot on the right while Michail Antonio should be kept on the left.
Alongside the speedy Diangana, Marko Arnautovic must start up front with Felipe Anderson playing just behind him, especially as the trio have proved that they can be quite the handful a few times this season.
With this team, there is no doubt that the Irons can heap misery on Newcastle and ensure that they do not record their fourth win on the bounce.
