Eddie Howe insisted he is enjoying the selection headache his Newcastle players have presented him after coming from behind against Wolves last time out.
Two goals in five minutes from Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes moved the Magpies up to third in the early-season standings as they aim to return to the Champions League this season.
With Newcastle struggling with injuries for much of last season, Howe said that despite the difficulty of the decisions he has to make every week, it is part of being a head coach in the Premier League.
"Those are the headaches you want. Leaving Harvey out and other players in this game was very, very difficult but it what you're paid to do,” Howe said.
“All you want then is when the player enters the pitch to try and prove that he should try and start the next game.
"The fixture list is never easy, every game in the Premier League is always difficult. Four points from Wolves and Bournemouth is good and we go away to Fulham next."
Fulham, meanwhile, suffered a shock midweek exit in the Carabao Cup to Championship side Preston North End at Deepdale.
The Cottagers were beaten on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time, eventually being dumped out of the competition in unusual fashion, losing 16-15 after Timothy Castagne saw his penalty saved, with Ryan Ledson sending North End through.
Head coach Marco Silva was left ruing his sides missed opportunities during the encounter, and is hoping his players can find their clinical edge against the high-flying Magpies this weekend.
"I'm sure that we did enough during the 95 minutes to win the game," Silva told reporters after the 34-kick shootout.
"From the first minute, we took control of the game and I think we created enough chances... the crossbar, a lot of crosses, a lot of moments where we should've scored."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fulham – Emile Smith-Rowe
Smith Rowe has made a positive start to his Fulham career, netting his second goal involvement since his move from Arsenal with his assist for Raul Jiminez’s goal against West Ham.
The 24-year-old also boasts an impressive record against the Magpies, winning four of the five games he has played against them (L1), scoring once.
Newcastle – Harvey Barnes
Barnes has either scored (two) or assisted (one) a goal in each of his last three Premier League appearances for Newcastle.
Only in January 2021 at Leicester has he registered a goal involvement in four consecutive games in the competition before.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Newcastle have enjoyed their recent visits to Craven Cottage, winning each of their last four away league games against Fulham, having previously lost six in a row before this.
The Magpies also boast an expected goals (xG) against total of 6.5 in the Premier League this season, but have conceded just three goals, with their difference of 3.5 between goals conceded and xG against the best in the division so far.
With 10 points (W3 D1), this is Newcastle’s best start to a Premier League campaign after four games since 1995-96 under Kevin Keegan (12 points) – the Magpies haven’t gone unbeaten in their opening five top-flight matches since 2011-12 under Alan Pardew (W2 D3).
Fulham, meanwhile, are winless in their last eight Premier League meetings with Newcastle (D2 L6), losing each of the last five in a row.
Silva’s side have also struggled on home soil, having won just one of their last six Premier League home games (D2 L3), having won four of their previous six at Craven Cottage (D1 L1).
While Opta’s data-led simulations expected a draw between the two sides, none of Fulham’s 16 Premier League home games against Newcastle have finished level, with the Cottagers winning nine and losing seven. The only exact fixture to be played more without being drawn in the competition’s history is Everton v Fulham at Goodison Park (17).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Fulham – 34.7%
Draw – 25.7%
Newcastle – 39.7%
Napoli 5-0 Palermo: Five-star hosts cruise into Coppa Italia last 16
Cyril Ngonge scored twice in an electrifying performance, as Napoli breezed into the Coppa Italia last 16 with a crushing 5-0 win over Serie B Palermo on Thursday.
Ngonge struck first in the seventh minute with a left-footed drive that bounced in front of Salvatore Sirigu before squirming under his body into the net, leaving the goalkeeper shaking his head in disbelief.
Sirigu was at fault again five minutes later when Ngonge lashed another left-footer from a difficult angle, the ball flying across the face of the goal before nestling in the side netting to make it 2-0.
Palermo gave the hosts a scare as Matteo Brunori struck the post 29 minutes in, but Napoli were too big, too strong and too quick for their second-tier visitors, with Juan Jesus nodding home from a corner to make it 3-0 just before the break.
The visitors' hopes of a comeback were shattered when they were reduced to 10 men just before the hour mark. Aljosa Vasic was given a straight red card for dangerous play after catching Billy Gilmour in the face.
David Neres slotted home the fourth in the 70th minute, pressing to help win the ball back before coolly knocking into the net.
Scott McTominay then came off the bench to score with his first touch, rifling home a pass from fellow substitute Romelu Lukaku seven minutes later to complete the rout.
Data Debrief: A perfect performance
Conte's first game in charge was in the first round of this competition, and the Partenopei edged their way through with a penalty shootout win over Modena.
It was a totally different performance this time around though. They had 16 shots, seven of which were on target, accumulating just 1.55 expected goals.
Ngonge's part was perhaps the most impressive - he scored with both of his shots, with those chances equalling just 0.09 xG, though he just could not snatch a hat-trick in the second half to round off a brilliant game.
KC, JC, Excelsior all score heavily in Manning Cup wins
Kingston College, Jamaica College and Excelsior High all scored massive wins in ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup action on Wednesday.
KC hit seven past Meadowbrook High at Meadowbrook to remain atop Zone C with 13 points from five games.
Elsewhere in Zone C, Campion College dispatched Penwood 2-0 to draw level on 10 points with their opponents who are in second place on goal difference.
Jose Marti Technical edged Cumberland High 2-1 in the St. Catherine derby in the day’s other Zone C clash.
Zone F action saw leaders Jamaica College defeat Bridgeport High 9-0 with Giovanni Taylor bagging four goals as the standout performer. Excelsior High hammered Pembroke Hall 11-0 in the other game from the zone.
In Zone D, Vauxhall High grabbed a late equalizer to secure a 1-1 draw against Camperdown High to remain unbeaten this season.
STATHS displayed a vintage performance as they held firm to secure their third win of the season with a 1-0 victory versus Haile Selassie and remain top of the zone with 10 points from their four outings.
Celta Vigo 0-1 Atletico Madrid: Super-sub Alvarez snatches last-gasp win
A late Julian Alvarez goal earned Atletico Madrid a dramatic 1-0 win at Celta Vigo on Thursday to lift them to third in LaLiga.
Atletico looked to be heading to a second straight draw, but the substitute was alert in the final minute of the 90 to ensure they returned to Madrid with all three points.
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak was key as Celta suffered their first home defeat of the season, producing an excellent save to deny Iago Aspas at his near post just before the break.
He kept his side in it throughout a poor showing, also keeping out Borja Iglesias twice after the break as Celta struggled to find their clinical edge.
But big-money signing Alvarez struck in the dying minutes, stretching out a leg to meet Antonie Griezmann's pinpoint cross to poke his second goal of the season past Vicente Guaita.
Data Debrief: Atleti ride their luck
It was not a vintage performance for Atletico by any stretch of the imagination, which was only confirmed as Oblak was awarded player of the match at the end of the contest.
The visitors only had two shots on target (from eight attempts), with both of those coming in the final 11 minutes as they accumulated just 0.63 expected goals.
Celta's profligacy came back to haunt them though as they had 10 shots, four of which hit the target, with three of those classed as big chances. They created an xG of 1.37, but just could not find a way past Oblak.
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