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• Longstaff keen to repay Howe's faith for Newcastle

  Sean Longstaff says Eddie Howe's trust is allowing him to play his best football as Newcastle United go in search of a third straight Premier League win against West Ham on Monday.

  After a difficult period, Newcastle bounced back by beating Arsenal (1-0) and Nottingham Forest (3-1) to enter the international break eighth in the table, one point adrift of third-placed Chelsea.

  Longstaff returned to Newcastle's starting lineup for those matches after temporarily losing his place in their midfield, with Joelinton being pushed into the frontline.

  "The midfield group is really strong," Longstaff told BBC Radio Newcastle. "When you look around it's all internationals. It's just about trying to bring my strengths to the team.

  "I know the manager trusts me which is the biggest thing. No matter what anyone ever says, the fact he trusts me gives me the most confidence."

  Longstaff then continued: "The season we qualified for the Champions League, I tried to enjoy it as much as possible.

  "Then, last year there was games every three days and with lads being injured, I think the burden of trying to win every game can mean the enjoyment leaves a little bit. I'm just trying to enjoy the games as much as I can and hopefully being a bit freer will help."

  Opponents West Ham, meanwhile, are just five points clear of the relegation zone after signing off for the international break with a goalless draw against Everton, a result that followed on from a crushing 3-0 defeat at Forest.

  The Hammers' underwhelming start to the campaign has seen Julen Lopetegui's position questioned mere months after he took the reins, and he is demanding a complete performance next time out.

  Speaking to BBC Sport after the Everton game, Lopetegui said: "We had more chances than them. In the second half, we had more clear chances to win the game.

  "The first half was a gift for them. We lost 45 minutes. In the second half we did better, we were aggressive and had chances to win.

  "The matches aren't about 45 minutes. They are 90 minutes and stoppage time. That's why I'm not happy, for sure. I think we can, and have to, do better."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH 

  Newcastle United – Harvey Barnes

  Only against Aston Villa (nine) has Barnes been directly involved in more Premier League goals than he has against West Ham (eight – six goals, two assists). 

  He has either scored or assisted in each of his last four against the Hammers (four goals, one assist), finding the net in each of the last three.

   

  West Ham – Michail Antonio 

  Only Wolves frontman Jorgen Strand Larsen (16) has made more hold-ups while retaining possession in the Premier League this season than West Ham striker Antonio (15). 

  Antonio is retaining possession with 71% of his hold-ups in the competition this term (15/21), the highest ratio of any player to attempt 10 or more. Lopetegui's side are likely to spend plenty of time under pressure on Monday, but he could provide them with an outlet.

  MATCH PREDICTION – NEWCASTLE UNITED WIN

  Newcastle have won their last two Premier League games and are looking to win three in a row for the first time since September 2023 – this is the sixth occasion since then that they have won twice in a row in the league.

  They have lost just one of their last 10 Premier League games against West Ham (five wins, four draws) and are unbeaten in all five against the Hammers under Howe (two wins, three draws). They triumphed 4-3 when the sides last met at St James' Park in March.

   

  West Ham, meanwhile, have kept just two clean sheets in their last 28 Premier League away games, conceding 66 goals (2.4 per game). 

  Indeed, in 2024, they have conceded more away goals in the top-flight (35) than any side.

  Lopetegui's men have also failed to score in their last two league games, as many as in their previous 14 beforehand. Only five teams have a worse difference between their expected goals (xG) and expected goals against (xGA) figures than West Ham (-2.97) this term.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Newcastle United – 58.9%

  West Ham – 19.7%

  Draw – 21.4%

• Boyz coach McClaren calls for resilience, precision against United States in crucial Nations League quarterfinal

  Jamaica’s Head coach Steve McClaren has once again emphasized the importance of mental toughness and consistency as his Reggae Boyz brace for their highly anticipated home-and-away Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal showdown against the United States.

  Knowing that this encounter represents a major test in their journey through the tournament, McClaren is urging his players to seize the opportunity and embrace the challenge against a formidable opponent in first leg action at the National Stadium on Thursday.

  Start time is at 8:00pm.

  McClaren, who steered the Reggae Boyz through an encouraging group stage, where they won two and draw two to finish atop Group B, remains laser-focused on the team’s principles of resilience, ball control, and tactical discipline.

  

  “This is the game we’ve been working toward. Our main goal was to get out of the group and reach a stage to play against a big team that would challenge us and there's no bigger team than the USA. This is a step up and a test for how far we've come and where we need to get to,” McClaren said in a pre-match press conference.

  The stakes are heightened by the absence of influential striker Michail Antonio, who faces a one-match suspension, alongside the injured Ethan Pinnock and Bobby Reid, the latter having just welcomed a new addition to his family.

  Still, McClaren remains unfazed and will lean heavily on his squad depth, entrusting both veterans and newcomers to adapt and deliver with resolve, as they look to take a decisive step forward.

  “One of our principles is to be hard to beat,” McClaren said, as he stressed the need for both defensive solidity and confidence on the ball.

  “We have to deal with the ball better, show bravery, and avoid giving away possession too easily. The last time we faced the USA, many of their chances came from transitions when we gave the ball away. That’s something we must control and be careful of. But the players have shown that they've got that mentality to win games and different ways to win games and we'll need all those ingredients against a very, very good and very strong USA team,” he added. 

  

  To improve the Boyz possession game, McClaren is set to rely on Newcastle United’s Isaac Hayden, who is set to make his debut in central midfield. The tactician hopes that Hayden will bring the critical link in stabilizing their build-up play and foster creativity in advancing the ball fluidly and also to retain control under pressure.

  “This is probably one of the reasons why we're not creating enough chances. So that will be one of the responsibilities when Isaac plays, is to create that link from the back to the front and also to get out of tight areas. We know that he's smart and dealing with the ball is one of our major goals with this team.

  “So by the time next year comes around to World Cup qualification, we want everybody in the team who are able to deal with the ball…that's from the goalkeeper all the way through to the bench. We're starting to build that, but we still got a long way to go,” the Englishman shared.

  Though United States lead the head-to-head 20 wins to Jamaica’s three in what has been a longstanding rivalry between the two nations, McClaren believes the Boyz have made significant strides in driving fear into their opponents.

  

  They went close to a win in the last Nations League edition where they led United States from the first minute but conceded in stoppage time and eventually lost 1-3 in that semi-final clash.

  For McClaren, the ultimate goal extends beyond Thursday’s game, as he envisions this match as a valuable step in building a consistent and competitive team for World Cup qualification.

  "The key thing is consistency. We need to be consistent in what we do...with that consistency will come performance, and that’s how we progress and get better," he explained.

  "We’re getting closer, and it’s only a matter of time. As long as we keep belief and confidence and don’t look at the opponent with fear, but as a challenge and tomorrow, we want to embrace that challenge. I'm so encouraged by what I've seen that I'm excited about the future,” McClaren declared.

  That said, McClaren is optimistic that the team's unique athleticism and mental resolve will shine through.

  “We have good speed and athleticism. It’s no secret; they know it, we know it. We’ll need to use that to our advantage while staying well-organized and resilient in transition,” he ended.

  

  Meanwhile, Isaac Hayden declared his commitment to giving of his best in the team’s bid to not only make another Nations League semi-final, but also secure qualification to the next Concacaf Gold Cup.

  “Anyone that knows me or seen me play knows that I'm a highly committed player and someone that gives 110% every moment of every game, every training session. I always want to win. Obviously we've got two massive games coming up and I think it's just for me to bed in, contribute as much as I can, however many minutes that is, and give 110% and see where that takes us,” Hayden declared.

• Lopetegui used to working under pressure amid West Ham scrutiny

  West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui said he always works under pressure as the Hammers' inconsistent form continued with a goalless draw against Everton.

  Reports earlier this week suggested Lopetegui was hanging on by a thread at West Ham, with the Hammers having made a poor start to their Premier League campaign.

  A flat performance for large parts on Saturday failed to offer the response West Ham fans will have wanted to see from their side following last week's loss to Nottingham Forest.

  The Hammers did, though, create the biggest chances during an improved second-half display, with Crysencio Summerville hitting the post and Jordan Pickford making a brilliant save to deny Danny Ings late on.

  West Ham faced some boos from their supporters at half-time, while there was a spattering of jeers at full-time at London Stadium, but Lopetegui claimed the pressure is not telling.

  "It's normal that the fans were not happy. We’re not happy with 12 points," he said.

  "At the same time, other teams who look fantastic, only have three or four more points than us. We can do better, we're not happy, but we can take positives. We want more, we are not happy, we will work 24/7 to achieve this.

  "Sometimes it's about the intensity, and to have the personality to do things. I think we have to improve in this. The players need to say 'Here I am and we are going to do this'.

  "I always work under pressure, this is not new. I'm very happy with the players, with the club. We are not happy with our position but we are sure we are going to be able to finish higher in May – a lot of things can change.

  "We are doing good things, but not enough of them to be consistent."

  Everton got back on track after suffering a 1-0 defeat at Southampton last week. The Toffees could have scored through Abdoulaye Doucoure, while Jesper Lindstrom saw a header kept out by Lukasz Fabianski.

  Sean Dyche said: "It's a good point, a good clean sheet. A solid performance.

  "We obviously couldn't find that bit of edge in the attacking third and the bit of devil that is sometimes the difference, but a solid feel to the performance.

  "We didn't really give much up, away from home in the Premier League, that’s difficult. In the end, we come away wondering if that’s one we could have won, but equally, Jordan makes a fantastic save."