Newcastle United vs Ipswich Town

The stakes are high for Premier League top-five hopefuls Newcastle United as they entertain relegation-bound Ipswich Town at St James’ Park.

Newcastle United’s quest to secure Champions League qualification for the second time in three years took a hit last weekend as Aston Villa thumped them 4-1 at Villa Park, halting their five-match winning streak in the Premier League. As a result, Eddie Howe’s charges could drop out of the top five before the kick-off, yet beating Ipswich would see them keep hold of a coveted fifth place. The impending return to St James’ Park bodes well, with the Magpies winning their last four home league outings, including the most recent two via at least a three-goal margin. Landslide victories against Crystal Palace (5-0) and Man Utd (4-1) mean Newcastle could score 4+ goals in three consecutive Premier League home games for the first time since 1994!

Visiting Ipswich could accommodate a piece of history this weekend after slumping to a 4-0 defeat in this season’s reverse fixture on home turf. That paints a grim picture for the visitors, whose failed attempt to get into the win column would confirm their immediate relegation to the Championship. However, an improbable win would likely only postpone the inevitable as a 4-0 home thrashing at the hands of Arsenal last week left them 15 points adrift of safety. Newcastle’s first league double over the Tractor Boys since 1973/74 looks far more likely, especially considering Ipswich’s 11-game winless H2H run on Tyneside (D5, L6). Scoring first wouldn’t guarantee success for Kieran McKenna’s charges, as they’ve dropped a league-high 27 points from winning positions this term.