Saido Berahino has grabbed headlines for West Bromwich Albion, but Newcastle is the club coming into the Hawthornes with the best run of form.
The two sides will look to knock the other back as the two teams face off at 8:30am ET live on Premier League Extra Time or live online at NBC Sports Live Extra.
After nearly falling victim to early-season slips, Alan Pardew has completed a 180-degree turnaround at Newcastle, with three wins in a row Leicester, Spurs, and Liverpool and now sit 12th with a chance to jump all the way into the top six with a win. West Brom is also won last week over Leicester City, but it was their first since late September.
WATCH LIVE: West Ham vs. Newcastle live on NBC Sports Live Extra
The Baggies’ in-form striker Saido Berahino has earned a call-up to the England squad for the upcoming international break, and despite earlier believing he might have to leave West Brom to complete his international dreams, that is now clearly not the case, and rumors are he will receive a big raise with a new contract offer coming through soon.
As for Berahino’s strike partner, Alan Irvine has dropped Stephane Sessegnon for Victor Anichebe up front, but explained prematch that the change was simply tactical, preferring Anichebe’s strength and believing Newcastle won’t allow Sessegnon the space he prefers to operate in.
Meanwhile, Pardew has rotated his squad yet again, Ayoze Perez and Massaido Haidara come back into the squad along with big-money summer signing Remy Cabella in a very attacking side.
LINEUPS:
West Ham: Foster; Wisdom, Lescott, Dawson, Pocognoli; Brunt, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Morrison; Anichebe, Berahino.
Bench: Myhill, Gamboa, McAuley, Baird, Yacob, Sessegnon, Samaras.
Newcastle: Krul; Janmaat, Coloccini, Dummett, Haidara; Sissoko, Abeid, Colback; Cabella, Perez, Ameobi.
Bench: Elliot, Williamson, R.Taylor, Anita, Gouffran, Armstrong, Cisse.
