Newcastle United’s away form will be put to the test again this weekend when they face Luton Town at Kenilworth Road.
Eddie Howe’s squad is following up their Carabao Cup defeat with a hard away encounter against a Luton side that has given the best sides a good game at home.
They earned a point against Liverpool after losing to Manchester City and Arsenal earlier in the season. While they only have five points at home, Rob Edwards’ club has put in some strong performances, which is cause for concern for Newcastle.
The Magpies have only won once this season in the Premier League away from home. Sheffield United had been thrashed 8-0.
Next up comes another freshly promoted team, and it will undoubtedly be a game that fans will be scared of, especially given Eddie Howe’s continued injury woes.
It’s a tough pick, but veteran Premier League striker Chris Sutton has backed Newcastle to win their second away game of the season.
Chris Sutton predicts Newcastle United will beat Luton Town
Sutton has predicted that Newcastle would beat Luton Town 2-1 on Saturday as part of his weekly Premier League predictions for BBC Sport.
“First and foremost, it’s a relief that Luton captain Tom Lockyer is in a stable condition after his collapse during the Bournemouth game,” he said in a statement.
“Luton have been very competitive at Kenilworth Road this season, but they have only won one of eight league matches there, picking up five points in total.”
“However, Newcastle’s away form is hardly convincing either – in terms of wins and points, it is actually identical to Luton’s home record, so there is plenty of room for improvement.”
“Eddie Howe’s side have got to address that if they want to challenge for the top four – and I think they will address it here, although it is going to be close.”
Tricky game for Newcastle despite Luton’s struggles
On paper, Newcastle should have an easy game. We certainly have the better players and are the stronger squad. While they are not doing badly in the Premier League, Luton Town are in the relegation zone with only nine points.
However, as the adage goes, football is not won on paper. This appears to be a possible stumbling block for the Magpies; it is not a game I am looking forward to.
We’ve suffered so badly away from home this season, and it’s unknown who Howe will have available after Chelsea’s defeat on Tuesday. Anthony Gordon suffered an injury in that game and could be out for the rest of the season.
As Newcastle prepares to travel to a difficult away venue with an injury-riddled squad, it’s difficult to share Sutton’s optimism about the Magpies coming home with all three points.
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