Newcastle United host Dean Smith’s Brentford at St James’s Park on Saturday.
Ian Holloway has told Sky Sports that he expects Brentford to shock Newcastle United with a 1-0 win at St James’s Park on Saturday.
Newcastle will move top of the Championship on Saturday if they better Norwich’s result, with top-of-the-table Huddersfield Town not facing Sheffield Wednesday until Sunday.
But beating Brentford at the moment is no easy task as the Londoners travel to the North East on the back of two wins in their last four games, scoring 10 goals along the way.
Rafael Benitez’s side have lost one of their last nine after Wolves won 2-0 at St James’s Park to end the Magpies’ five-game winning streak, but United have bounced back with seven points from a possible nine since being humbled by Wanderers.
Although Holloway warns that Newcastle could go on another “huge winning run”, the Sky Sports pundit believes Dean Smith’s side have enough to shock them on Saturday.
“Newcastle look like a team that are enjoying the challenge the Championship brings. The rest of the division needs to watch out as this team could go on a huge winning run at any stage of the season,” he wrote in Sky Sports.
“However, Brentford look confident and Newcastle’s home form has been a bit up and down. They lost to both Wolves and Huddersfield at St James’ Park.
“Brentford have only shipped nine goals this season, which makes me think they may have enough to stifle Rafa Benitez’s men. This is my shock of the weekend. Scott Hogan to net the winner.”
Brentford are seventh in the Championship, four points behind third-placed Newcastle.
Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez
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