Gary Neville and Roy Keane have delivered their verdict on whether Leeds United can pull off a surprise result against Newcastle United in their next Premier League game.
Leeds come into the game needing a morale boost, having suffered a heavy defeat against Arsenal, followed by a demoralising EFL Cup exit at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin could make his first league appearance for Leeds after his disappointing debut from the bench at Hillsborough, while Jaka Bijol is also in contention after impressing in a poor performance.
They face a daunting fixture against Eddie Howe’s Newcastle as Daniel Farke looks to get Leeds’ season back on course, and Keane and Neville have backed them to pull off a surprise at Elland Road.
Roy Keane and Gary Neville agree on Leeds United prediction
Appearing on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Keane and Neville delivered their prediction for Leeds’ home game against Newcastle, alongside fellow hosts Jamie Carragher, Ian Wright and Jill Scott.
Whilst Leeds struggled against Arsenal, Keane backed them to improve at Elland Road, stating: “They were good against Everton, weren’t they? They’re good at home,” before predicting that Leeds would claim a 2-2 draw.
Neville believes the number of Newcastle players set to miss the game through injury and suspension could work in Leeds’ favour, adding: “Joelinton got injured. Gordon can’t play, Tonali can’t play, and then [Fabian Schar] came off with a concussion, didn’t he? So he can’t play?”
“Will Newcastle have a little bit of a hangover?” Neville mused, before concluding, “1-1.”
Having watched their side slip to two chastening defeats in a week, the majority of Leeds fans would gladly take a point against Newcastle to lift them to four points from three Premier League games.
Leeds have a strong recent track record against Newcastle
With the backing of Keane and Neville behind them, Leeds will be looking to maintain a strong recent track record against Newcastle.
Leeds have lost just once against the Magpies in their last seven meetings, with three draws in the last four games between the two clubs.
According to 11v11.com, the historical head-to-head between the two clubs is also remarkably even, with 40 wins for Newcastle, 39 wins for Leeds and 21 draws in all competitions.
Farke will be desperate for his side to even out the historic ledger and add another valuable home win to their tally to provide a good end to a miserable week.
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