EPL: Newcastle United v Stoke City preview

Newcastle United v Stoke City preview

In-form Newcastle and Stoke are set to go head-to-head in the Premier League at St James' Park on Saturday.

The Magpies made a slow start to life back in the top-flight, losing their opening two matches, but they have bounced back with consecutive victories against West Ham and Swansea.

Newcastle have not recorded three successive wins in the Premier League since November 2014 and they will have their work cut out if they want to achieve that feat against Stoke, as they have failed to win any of their last five meetings with the Potters.

Indeed, Newcastle have only scored one goal during that run, with the most recent meeting between the two sides ending in a 1-0 victory for Stoke at the bet365 Stadium in March 2016.

Boss Rafael Benitez will once again have to do without the suspended Aleksandar Mitrovic for the match, which means Joselu is likely to lead the line against his former club.

Stoke will head into the contest on a four-match unbeaten run in all competitions and they were the first team to take points off Manchester United this season, as they secured a 2-2 draw last weekend. 

However, the Potters have only won one of their last ten away matches in the top-flight, with their last away success against Newcastle coming seven years ago.

Captain Ryan Shawcross is likely to miss the match due to a back problem, while Geoff Cameron is unavailable after sustaining a hamstring injury last weekend.