Newcastle United have slumped down the Premier League standing’s after a run that seen them secure just one of the last 18 points available, leaving them fifteenth and just five points above the drop zone.
A crucial run of fixtures lies ahead for the Magpies as they face back-to-back home matches against Leicester City and Everton, two sides who have also struggled for form so far this season.
Newcastle will be looking to bring an end to their run of matches without tasting victory and BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson expects them to have the edge in this weekend’s clash. Writing in his weekly predictions, he said:
“Newcastle’s poor run continued with their defeat at Chelsea, and they have now taken only one point from their past six matches. Leicester, in contrast, beat Burnley to maintain their improvement under Claude Puel. The Foxes are ninth in the table, which is around where they should be.”
“I just fancy Newcastle to edge this one, though. Benitez has made his feelings clear about the limitations of his squad but he is still usually very good at negating the opposition’s main strength. His side need a win, and I think they will get one.”
Lawrenson is backing a 2-1 win for the Magpies this weekend, which would hand a huge boost to their survival hopes.
