"I have a feeling they will find a way" - Mark Lawrenson makes Newcastle United prediction ahead of Brentford clash

Newcastle United will return to Premier League action this weekend as they face Brentford in Eddie Howe’s first game in charge.

The Magpies have struggled for form this season and are still waiting on their first Premier League win of the campaign, however things are looking a lot more positive now that the takeover and the arrival of Howe has been completed.

Meanwhile, Brentford enjoyed a brilliant start to the season following their promotion from the Championship, however they have fallen off in recent weeks and have four successive defeats in the league.

Ahead of this weekend’s round of fixtures, Mark Lawrenson has made his prediction for the clash at St. James’ Park in his weekly piece for BBC Sport.

The former Liverpool defender has tipped the Magpies to finally pick up their first league win since May with a 2-0 victory over the Bees.

Lawrenson said: "Eddie Howe has got the toughest job out of the three new Premier League managers to be appointed in the past few days.

“Everyone will be talking about how much money he has to spend in the January transfer window, but there is a lot of hard work to be done before they get to that point.

“Who they bring in then will be pivotal in terms of whether they stay up or not, of course, but he has to get some results with his existing players first.

“That won't be easy. The Magpies are in a relegation battle, and they haven't won a game yet this season despite playing most of the teams around them at the bottom already.

“This might just be a good time to play Brentford, though, because the Bees have lost their past four league games.

“Newcastle's defence will have to improve if they are going to keep a clean sheet for the first time in the league this season, but there will be a fabulous atmosphere again at St James' Park and I have a feeling they will find a way of winning this one.”

This week Lawrenson was up against singer-songwriter and Everton fan Zuzu.

Zuzu – whose new album Queensway Tunnel was released last week – has also predicted a Newcastle win, going for a narrow 1-0 scoreline.

Elsewhere, Lawrenson has tipped Liverpool to end Arsenal’s unbeaten run and expects Tottenham Hotspur to claim the victory over Leeds United in Antonio Conte’s second Premier League game in charge.