Paul Merson makes wild Eddie Howe claim as he predicts the winner of Brighton vs Newcastle United

Add as preferred source on Google

Newcastle United are back in action on Sunday as they travel to the South Coast to take on Brighton and Hove Albion.

As we enter the final four games of the Premier League season, the opponents do not get much easier for Eddie Howe’s side. A trip to the American Express Stadium awaits Newcastle United, who are looking for a first win against the Seagulls on the road since 2017.

The Magpies will have a renewed sense of motivation after seeing Nottingham Forest lose ground in the Champions League race on Thursday night, but they will be well aware that three points are a must to maintain their gap to sixth place.

Howe returned to Newcastle’s dugout against Ipswich Town after missing the previous three games due to a pneumonia diagnosis. The Newcastle manager now faces a tough task in his first away fixture since his return.

Paul Merson predicts Brighton vs Newcastle United

Newcastle’s record away from home against Brighton makes the contest unpredictable, regardless of form, with Chris Sutton predicting a 2-2 draw between the two sides.

This season has seen Newcastle lose twice to Brighton, with both defeats coming at St James’ Park and former Sunderland striker Danny Welbeck getting on the scoresheet – a bitter pill to swallow.

Paul Merson disagrees with Sutton’s predicted score, predicting a win for the Magpies. However, the former Arsenal star seems to have other things on his mind rather than the game itself.

Talking about the game on Sportskeeda, Merson said: “Brighton had a good result last weekend when they secured a late win, but that was against West Ham. I think Newcastle win this one. It’s not the Brighton we’ve seen over the years and I don’t expect them to trouble Newcastle.

“I don’t believe Eddie Howe deserves to win the manager of the year award. I would pick Arne Slot. Winning the league with four games to go in his debut season is an incredible achievement. Howe and Nuno Espirito Santo have done quite well, but I’d have to go with Slot.”

Merson’s prediction: Brighton 1 Newcastle United 3

Paul Merson’s comments can only fuel Eddie Howe’s motivation

The run-in to the end of the Premier League season is undoubtedly one of the most nerve-wracking in Newcastle’s recent history. The campaign got off to a poor start, which saw the Magpies mid-table heading into the winter months before a fantastic resurgence saw them fighting for a European spot.

Newcastle will definitely play in Europe next season thanks to their Carabao Cup win, but the squad are well aware of what can be achieved in the final few games.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	34	25	7	2	80	32	48	82
2	ArsenalArsenal	34	18	13	3	63	29	34	67
3	NewcastleNewcastle	34	19	5	10	65	44	21	62
4	Man CityManchester City	34	18	7	9	66	43	23	61
5	ChelseaChelsea	34	17	9	8	59	40	19	60

Sandro Tonali wants Champions League football with Newcastle, claiming the Magpies “need” to be in the competition next season. Recent reports have suggested the Italian could return to Italy if Newcastle do not return to Europe’s top competition.

For Howe, it is a chance to prove that the Carabao Cup win will be one of many achievements from this season. The boss has done an exceptional job with reduced squad depth after being forced to lost several useful players due to PSR.

Merson’s comments can only give Howe more motivation to finish in the top five and prove why he deserves to be the Premier League’s manager of the year.