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Newcastle visit West Ham on Saturday where they will be hoping they can continue their excellent run of form. There will be a number of key battles in various areas of the pitch but all eyes will surely be on two of the best up and coming English talents in the Premier League.
On the chalkboard
The Magpies, rejuvenated by the January arrival of Miguel Almiron, have hit two past their opponents without reply in their last two games and Rafa Benitez seems to have discovered a winning formula at St James’ Park.
A big part of the success of the Spaniard’s 5-4-1 is the incredible form of Sean Longstaff, who has impressed in holding-midfield since breaking through from the academy.
West Ham have an all-action midfielder of their own, though, in Declan Rice – the 20-year-old has excelled since being deployed further afield this season and has attracted interest from some of the Premier League big boys.
Both men will be essential in providing defensive security for their respective teams, but Longstaff will be hoping he can put in a performance to match, or better, that of Rice.
Keown knows
BT Sport pundit Martin Keown waxed lyrical about 21-year-old Longstaff after he scored his first goal for the Tyneside outfit on Tuesday, comparing the starlet to Michael Carrick and also saying that we should be talking about him more, as opposed to Rice…
“Rice that plays for West Ham. We have often talked about him. I think this fella is maybe better. He’s technically better, the way he strikes the ball.”
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No doubt the former Arsenal defender will be watching closely again on Saturday, as will the Newcastle and West Ham fans who have applauded and slammed Keown since he made those comments, respectively.
Longstaff will be tasked with tackling the likes of Felipe Anderson and Marko Arnautovic, providing the latter returns to fitness that is, in what is surely one of his biggest tests to date in black and white.
The clash at London Stadium may well be an England audition for both, but the pressure is on Longstaff to prove that Keown knows what he’s on about.