Newcastle United will go into Sunday’s final home game of the season against West Ham determined to finish on a high, with Eddie Howe saying his side must keep their competitive edge at St. James' Park. The match kicks off at 5.30pm BST and comes against a West Ham side still battling to pull clear of the relegation zone.
Howe said Newcastle have trained every day this week and have worked hard and well, adding that there will be no change to the way they prepare for newcastle vs west ham. He said the team need to do themselves justice first and foremost, and that the focus is on giving supporters a positive feeling before the campaign ends at Fulham next week.
“It’s massive for us. There’s no part of me that thinks any different. It’s the last home game of the season and it’s really, really important from our perspective that we finish the season with a positive feeling, and we show our supporters how important every game is to us. We pride ourselves on that,” Howe said on Friday morning.
The manager also said Lewis is fine and has trained this week, while Joelinton remains a doubt after picking up a slight thigh problem. “We’ve got a doubt over Joelinton, who has a slight thigh problem, so we’ll assess him in the next couple of days,” Howe said. That leaves one doubt hanging over Newcastle’s selection plans at a point in the season when the margin for error is small and the home crowd will expect a sharp response.
The trip to St. James' Park is Newcastle’s last chance to shape the mood around home matches before the season closes, and Howe made clear he does not want the occasion treated as a formality. He said there would be no part of the preparation that would be any different, stressing that the squad has been competitive in training and must carry that edge into the match itself.
Howe also paid tribute to Kieran Trippier ahead of what will be the defender’s final game at St. James' Park, saying he has had a really good season. He said Trippier recovered from an injury at the start of the campaign, proved his fitness and grew stronger as the season went on, a run that has helped Newcastle through a long year. For a side trying to close the home schedule with something worth remembering, that kind of reliability has mattered.
West Ham’s position adds a layer of pressure to the afternoon, but Newcastle’s task is simpler: finish with control, energy and a result that reflects the season they want to present to their supporters. Next week’s visit to Fulham will bring the campaign to an end, but Sunday is the last time this group gets to answer to the St. James' Park crowd.
