da dobrowin： Matches don’t come any bigger than this in the Championship. First host second with only one point separating them and the in-form Huddersfield Town rapidly putting pressure on from third. There are twelve matches left in the season for Newcastle and Brighton after their Tuesday south coast encounter, but the form of the two clubs up until this point still makes this match extremely significant in the context of the promotion race.
da betcris： The Magpies have suffered three disappointing draws in their last six league outings, including a shock 2-2 draw at home to Bristol City last weekend. Rafa Benitez’s side have spent the majority of this season looking as good as guaranteed for automatic promotion, but a defeat away at their title rivals on Tuesday night would severely jeopardise that.
Newcastle have far and away the strongest squad in the Championship this season but too many of their supposed stars are under-performing. There are three, in particular, that must prove they are worthy of their salary against Brighton…
Aleksandar Mitrovic
The initial hype around Mitrovic is long forgotten now. In and out of the side this season and with only four Championship goals to his name, the aggressive Serbian must prove he can deliver for Newcastle when they need him most.
The talent is there, most frustratingly, but his displays too often do not reflect that. While still suffering from the inconsistencies of youth, Mitrovic has been in the shadow of Dwight Gayle in Newcastle’s final third this season.
Jack Colback
Amidst the squad changes at St James’ Park, Jack Colback has been a relative constant. Starting 16 Championship matches this season, the former Sunderland man has often been a weak point in the midfield and is too regularly found out of position. With Isaac Hayden ruled out for a few weeks, Colback will be starting alongside Jonjo Shelvey in the heart of midfield and must be solid to enable Shelvey to roam forwards.
The team needs a big performance from Colback on Tuesday. While he may not run the show from the middle of the park, he must track runs from Brighton’s midfielders and be aware of their centre forwards dropping deep to receive the ball.
Ayoze Perez
Not often starting for the Magpies this season, Perez will likely have to make an impact from the bench on Tuesday evening. Creatively one of the better players in the squad and with a natural eye for goal, his bit-part role in the team reflects an indifferent campaign.
In a match that could come down to one piece of individual brilliance, Ayoze Perez could be the key for Newcastle to return to the top of the Championship.