admin‘Wouldn’t be surprised’ – Chris Sutton and Paul Merson disagree on Newcastle vs Leeds United result
Chris Sutton believes Leeds United’s impressive unbeaten run is set to end when they travel to face Newcastle United this evening.
Daniel Farke’s side have gone seven matches without defeat, with the switch to a 3-5-2 system proving highly effective.
Leeds were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester United at Elland Road last time out and have also picked up valuable points on the road at tough venues including Brentford and Sunderland.
Newcastle, though, present a different challenge. Eddie Howe’s men have won their last two Premier League fixtures and are unbeaten in 11 home matches at St James’ Park.
While their season has been patchy overall, recent results suggest the Magpies are beginning to build momentum and have climbed into the top half of the table.
A gritty 2-0 win over Crystal Palace last weekend underlined that improvement, and Sutton is backing Newcastle to repeat that scoreline.
He did, however, admit Leeds could pose a threat, with one player in particular capable of making the difference.
Writing in his BBC Sport predictions column, Sutton said:
“Newcastle didn’t just get the three points against Palace, they also kept their first league clean sheet since early October.
Leeds are unbeaten in seven, including a solid draw away at Sunderland, so they’ll arrive with plenty of confidence.
“These sides drew 0-0 at Elland Road back in August, but I expect goals this time around. I always fancy Newcastle at home, and I’m sticking with that.
The only question for me is whether Leeds will score. I’m going to say they don’t, so I can see Dominic Calvert-Lewin popping up again, probably late on.”
Paul Merson’s Newcastle vs Leeds prediction
Not long ago, most would have written Leeds off in this fixture, but their recent form has made them one of the league’s toughest sides to break down. Their trio of away draws saw just two goals conceded by Lucas Perri, who was rarely forced into making standout saves.
Leeds are expected to adopt another disciplined approach, but with the schedule intensifying and Newcastle showing signs of form, Paul Merson feels goals are inevitable.
Unlike Sutton, however, Merson expects both teams to score and predicts a share of the points.
“Leeds are doing really well,” Merson told Sportskeeda, forecasting a 2-2 draw. “They’re picking up points in difficult games while West Ham are struggling in matches they should be winning. That’s massive for Leeds in terms of staying up.
“Newcastle won 2-0 against Crystal Palace, but I wasn’t blown away by the performance. I was surprised Nick Woltemade didn’t come on sooner, especially against a back three — he could have made an impact earlier.
“Given how both sides are playing, I wouldn’t be shocked if Leeds got something here. I’m going for an entertaining draw.”
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