03/03/2026
After a sloppy first-half display against Crystal Palace, standards must rise. Especially with Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw doubtful. Against Newcastle United, control will be everything.
My predicted starting XI (4-3-3 | False 9 System)
Deploying Bruno Fernandes as a false 9 transforms the shape into a midfield-dominant structure. It creates overloads centrally, allows runners like Cunha and Mbeumo to attack half-spaces, and ensures numerical superiority in possession — crucial against Newcastle’s intensity.