Eddie Howe admits to being concerned about Newcastle United's attacking shortcomings as they prepare to visit Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday.
After taking 10 points from their first four games of the campaign, Newcastle have since failed to win any of their last four, drawing two and losing two.
They were beaten 1-0 by Brighton and Hove Albion last time out, a game in which they fired off 21 shots worth 2.02 expected goals (xG), but only hit the target six times.
The Magpies have now gone over a month without scoring from open play since a 3-1 defeat to Fulham in September, failing to net in their last two matches.
"We are going through that spell where we are not scoring. That is always a difficult period for any team," Howe said as he looked ahead to Sunday's trip to Stamford Bridge.
"The positive is we have been creating chances. We had the moments and maybe in previous games we haven't had those opportunities.
"I always believe if you continue to create you will get your rewards. I think that is what we have to work towards.
"We can't feel sorry for ourselves. We have to get on with it on the training ground and focus on those big games."
Chelsea, meanwhile, suffered just their second Premier League defeat under Enzo Maresca last week, going down 2-1 to Liverpool at Anfield.
Their last three league defeats have come against last season's top three sides (also 0-5 versus Arsenal in April, 0-2 against Manchester City in August). The Blues are unbeaten in 19 games against all other teams (13 wins, six draws), scoring 54 goals across these matches.
Maresca received a double boost despite the result at Anfield, as Reece James and Romeo Lavia returned from injury lay-offs, and the Italian was delighted to see them back in action.
"I am very pleased," he said of the duo. "I am very happy for Reece, for Romeo, for both of them. Hopefully they can stay fit.
"There were many positives, probably the only thing which wasn't positive was the result."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chelsea – Nicolas Jackson
Jackson has been involved in 13 goals in his last 13 Premier League appearances (nine goals, four assists). He also netted the opener in a 3-2 win over Newcastle back in March.
Newcastle United – Harvey Barnes
Barnes has been involved in four goals in his last five away Premier League appearances (three goals, one assist), scoring in his last two games in London against Brentford and Fulham.
The only two Magpies players to score in three in a row in the capital are Peter Beardsley in 1994 and Callum Wilson in 2020.
MATCH PREDICTION – CHELSEA WIN
Newcastle have won two of their last four Premier League games against Chelsea (one draw, one defeat), as many as they had in their previous 13 (one draw, 10 losses).
They have a poor record at Stamford Bridge, though, where Chelsea have only lost one of their 29 Premier League matches against Newcastle (21 wins, seven draws) – a 2-0 defeat in May 2012 memorable for Papiss Cisse's stunning volley.
Howe has won two of his Premier League games against Chelsea in charge of Newcastle – only Alan Pardew (four) has beaten the Blues more in the competition with the Magpies.
Howe also beat the Blues four times while with Bournemouth, meaning he could become just the third manager to win three Premier League games against them with two different clubs, after Kenny Dalglish (Blackburn/Liverpool) and David Moyes (Everton/West Ham).
However, since enjoying an eight-game unbeaten run in London in the Premier League between October 2022 and October 2023, Newcastle have lost five of their last seven games in the capital (two wins), so they approach Sunday's contest as outsiders.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chelsea – 51.2%
Newcastle United – 25.8%
Draw – 23.1%
Manchester United sack struggling Ten Hag
Manchester United have parted company with Erik ten Hag.
United lost 2-1 to West Ham on Sunday, and that defeat at London Stadium has proved the final straw for the club's ownership.
The Dutchman, who was only rewarded with a new contract in the summer following a win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, had won just one of his last eight matches in charge.
United confirmed in a statement on Monday that Ten Hag, who joined the club from Ajax in 2022, had left his role.
"We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future," the statement read.
United announced that Ruud van Nistelrooy, who joined Ten Hag's coaching staff this past summer, will take charge as interim head coach during the club's search for a permanent replacement.
The Red Devils sit 14th in the Premier League, having won three and lost four of their opening nine games. They have also drawn all three of their Europa League matches.
Ten Hag can point to his side missing chances this season – in fact, United have the biggest negative differential between expected goals and goals scored in the Premier League this season (eight goals scored from 14.6 xG).
However, defensively they have been poor for large swathes of Ten Hag's tenure. Indeed, since his first Premier League match in charge in August 2022, United have registered an xG against (xGA) of 136.
While they have only conceded 112 goals, their xGA is the fifth-worst of any ever-present Premier League side in that time.
Ten Hag departs having led United to two trophies – the EFL Cup in 2022-23 and last season's FA Cup.
2024 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Six-A-Side Football Competition kicks off with community unity and exciting matches
The 2024 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Six-A-Side “Peace Through Sports” Football Competition kicked off on Sunday, uniting Waterhouse and neighboring communities at the Red Stripe headquarters on Spanish Town Road. Organized by the Pocket Rocket Foundation, the event aims to foster peace through sport, creating a space for community building and camaraderie.
The opening ceremony featured a vibrant dress parade, with Basement taking the top spot for best-dressed team, followed by Friends For Real in second place and Boom Riddim in third. This year also marked the first time Corporate Jamaica was invited to field teams, highlighting the tournament's growing influence as a platform for positive community engagement.
The day’s matches saw Ball Spot claim a 3-1 victory over Basic, while Legacy edged past Boom Riddim in a tight 3-2 match. The fixture between Fesgas and Youths United ended in a scoreless draw, showcasing strong defense. In another close game, Friends For Real earned a 1-0 win against Basement.
Ashoka delivered an impressive performance, defeating Dream Team 4-1, while Real City closed out the day with a narrow 1-0 victory over tournament hosts Red Stripe.
The competition, part of Fraser-Pryce’s ongoing commitment to community development, reinforces the power of sports as a unifying force and a way to promote peace among communities.
LAFC edge out Vancouver as Orlando take the advantage against Charlotte
Denis Bouanga and Cristian Olivera were on target as Los Angeles FC edged out the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Sunday.
LAFC, the 2022 MLS Cup champions, will book their place in the next round should they win north of the border next week.
Ryan Gauld netted in the 94th minute for the Whitecaps, but it was too little, too late for the Canadian side, who hammered the Portland Timbers in the wildcard round.
LAFC have now won seven straight playoff games against Western Conference opponents, while Bouanga has netted eight goals in nine postseason appearances.
Hugo Lloris, however, says LAFC must sharpen up.
"The performance is not [good] enough, but we got the result so that's the most important thing," Lloris said.
"We need to increase [our levels] if we want to have ambition. A win is a win, so that's positive, but there were things we need to fix if we are to improve."
Elsewhere, Orlando City also made a winning start to their playoff campaign as they beat Charlotte FC 2-0.
Facundo Torres put Orlando ahead in the 32nd minute at Inter&Co Stadium, with Martin Ojeda doubling the hosts' tally 14 minutes from time.
A frustrating day for Dean Smith's Charlotte team was compounded when Pep Biel was sent off late on, though they will at least have home advantage when they look to turn the best-of-three series around next time out.
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