With their hopes of lifting some pre-season silverware over, both Newcastle United and West Ham will look to bounce back from respective drubbings when they meet in Shanghai in the third-place play-off of the 2019 Premier League Asia Trophy.
The Magpies, whose new manager Steve Bruce will be in the stands this weekend, fell to Wolves while the Hammers found themselves outclassed by champions Manchester City in Nanjing earlier this week.
Manuel Pellegrini's side will be looking to make amends for the manner of their defeat against the Citizens while new Newcastle boss Bruce will have a chance to observe his squad as he prepares for the daunting task of keeping them in the top flight this coming campaign.
| Game | Newcastle vs West Ham |
| Date | Saturday, July 20 |
| Time | 10am BST / 11am ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
For UK readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! US readers can find out what soccer is on TV here!
In the United States (US), the game will not be broadcast.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| n/a | n/a |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Premier League. It can be streamed via Sky Go.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Premier League | Sky Go |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Newcastle squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Dubravka, Darlow, Woodman, Harker |
| Defenders | Clark, Dummett, Schar, Lascelles, Fernandez, Manquillo, Lazaar, Sterry, Bailey, Watts, Allan |
| Midfielders | Ki, Colback, Shelvey. Ritchie, Hayden, S. Longstaff, M. Longstaff |
| Forwards | Aarons, Murphy, Gayle, Muto |
With no new signings yet to be made and the big-money exit of Ayoze Perez confirmed alongside Rafa Benitez's departure, Steve Bruce will face a race to prepare his squad for the new season.
He'll be hoping that the stalwarts of the Magpies come to the fore in this encounter, though he will be unable to manage them as he does not have a working visa.
Confirmed Starting XI (5-3-2): Dubravka; Sterry, Schar, Lascelles, Clark, Ritchie; Colback, Hayden, Shelvey; Muto, Sorensen
Substitutes: Darlow, Woodman, Manquillo, Fernandez, Lazaar, Bailey, Watts, Ki, S. Longstaff, M. Longstaff, Murphy, Aarons, Allan
| Position | West Ham squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Fabianski, Roberto, Martin |
| Defenders | Cresswell, Diop, Ogbonna, Reid, Fredericks, Zabaleta, Johnson |
| Midfielders | Rice, Sanchez, Wilshere, Obiang, Noble, Cullen, Lanzini |
| Forwards | Hernandez, Anderson, Yarmolenko, Antonio, Snodgrass, Diangana |
Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping to inspire his side into restoring some pride after they were outgunned by City, though he is of course without the club's two big new signings, Pablo Fornals and Sebastien Haller.
There will likely be a chance however for his forwards to impress and help sway themselves towards a starting berth with the latter when the new season rolls around.
Confirmed Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Cullen; Yarmolenko, Lanzini, Anderson; Hernandez
Substitutes: Martin, Roberto, Fredricks, Johnson, Obiang, Sanchez, Wilshere, Snodgrass, Noble, Diangana, Antonio
Betting & Match Odds
West Ham are odds-on favourites to take the win at 11/10 with bet365 . Newcastle can be backed at 12/5 while a draw is priced the same.
Match Preview
Getty Images
With their hopes of reaching the final of the Premier League Asia Trophy sunk at the first hurdle, both Newcastle United and West Ham will be looking to restore their pride when the pair meet in a third-place curtain-raiser in Shanghai this weekend.
Taking to the pitch just before Wolves and Manchester City, the Magpies and the Hammers will look to end their stay in the Far East on a high note before heading back to Europe for final preparations.
For the former in particular, however, their clash with Manuel Pellegrini's side represents the first chance for new manager Steve Bruce to catch his squad in action.
The former Sunderland supremo was tempted to Tyneside from his perch at Sheffield Wednesday and now faces the unenviable task of preserving their top-flight status after the exit of Rafa Benitez following off-field troubles at St James' Park with the club's hierarchy.
Speaking to the media following his appointment, Bruce noted that he will likely not please every fan at the club but that he is "quietly confident" he can succeed in the role.
“I know in some people's eyes I'm not Rafa,” he stated. “I understand there are big shoes to fill, but I'll give it everything I possibly can.
“I knew it was going to be difficult. The easy thing would have been to say no. I just hope that people will show respect, which obviously you only gain by getting a few results and doing the job, but hopefully that will go hand in hand.
“I accept I am not everyone's cup of tea, but judge me over a period of time. I am quietly confident I will do okay.
“I'm going to need all of my 20 years' experience to get my way through choppy waters. But I've got skin as think as an elephant.”
West Ham, meanwhile, have seen little turmoil during the off-season and have broken the club's transfer record to bring Sebastien Haller to London Stadium.
The star forward is not currently with the club in Asia however, leaving the Irons effectively as they were last season as they look to get the better of the Magpies.
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