Newcastle United will look to bounce back from two disappointing successive 1-0 defeats when they face Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
The Magpies had surpassed the magic 40-point mark following four consecutive Premier League wins, but they followed up a loss against Everton at Goodison Park with another reverse by the same scoreline against bottom club West Bromwich Albion at St James’ Park last weekend.
The Tyneside outfit were nowhere near the level they had been in previous weeks against the Baggies as they clearly let their standards slip, and manager Rafa Benitez will want to see an improved display from his team in Hertfordshire as they look to secure a top-half finish.
They face another mid-table opponent in the Hornets, who like the Toon seem to already be thinking about their summer holidays seeing as they have taken just two points from the previous 21 available.
Benitez has largely stuck with the same starting XI in recent weeks but made one change to the side that was beaten by the Toffees for the visit of Darren Moore’s men as Ayoze Perez replaced Islam Slimani, and he could be considering making wholesale alterations following such a flat performance last time out.
Here is how Newcastle must line up against Watford, ahead of Martin Dubravka in goal…
Neither Paul Dummett or DeAndre Yedlin have been as good at full-back in the last two matches as they were previously, and it is time for Rafa Benitez to give them a rest and give two fringe players who haven’t had too much of an opportunity a spot in the XI instead.
Both Javier Manquillo and Chancel Mbemba have seen their first-team chances limited this term – especially in 2018 – and they should line up at right-back and left-back respectively at Vicarage Road, with Benitez also bringing in Ciaran Clark alongside captain Jamaal Lascelles at the heart of the defence as he looks to assess his options for next season.
As in defence, Benitez should be looking to switch up the quarter of Matt Ritchie, Mo Diame, Jonjo Shelvey and Kenedy that were brilliant during the club’s four-match winning run, but have struggled a little since.
Jacob Murphy and Isaac Hayden will have been champing at the bit for a start in training having found starts hard to come by, and the duo should both be named in the XI against Watford, with the latter partnering Shelvey in the middle of the park and the former on the opposite flank to Kenedy.
Ayoze Perez, Dwight Gayle and Islam Slimani have been Benitez’s preferred picks when he has selected his front two in recent weeks, but with the Leicester City loanee suspended after picking up a three-match ban, the Spanish manager has plenty to consider ahead of the trip to face the Hornets.
With Gayle – whom Newcastle fans on Twitter want sold this summer – struggling for form and Perez going slightly off the boil in his last two appearances after being one of their key men in their brilliant run previously, Benitez should name the duo on the substitutes’ bench.
That would allow him to play the returning Mikel Merino behind his Spanish compatriot Joselu up top, with both individuals having a point to prove having lost their places as regulars in the side from the first few months of the campaign.
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