Correlation FC

Brentford vs Newcastle, preview

Newcastle arrives in London for their second weekend in a row after losing 3-1 to West Ham last weekend. One of their big-money signings from last summer, Yoane Wissa, has not yet recovered from injury and will be unavailable for the match. With Wissa out and Alexander Isak at Liverpool, the Magpies have struggled for goals, with only 4 players scoring in the league for them this season. Goals have been comparatively plentiful in the Carabao Cup and Champions League.

Recent history

The Bees have only beaten Newcastle twice in the last 10 years, with one of those wins coming at home last season. In 11 head-to-head games, there have only been 2 draws. Both teams have made it to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, so there's a chance that they will have more than their two allotted league meetings this season. Newcastle knocked out the Bees at this stage last season, and then went on to win the cup at Wembley.

Recent form

Both teams are coming off of uninspired losses in the league. Prior to the losses, both had won three straight games across all competitions.

Opta Power Rankings (as of 7th November 2025)

Pre-game correlations

Wearing blue

Newcastle's online shop has suggested that the Magpies will wear their blue third kit this weekend. The Bees beat teams in blue 6 times last season. The Bees are yet to win against opponents in blue this season – they have one draw (that felt like a win) against Chelsea, lost a close 1-0 battle with Manchester City and lost to a half-blue team last weekend at Selhurst Park. Meanwhile, when the Bees wear blue themselves this season, they've picked up three wins, one in the league and two in the Carabao Cup.

Headed goals

During the week, Newcastle's Dan Burn scored what The Telegraph called a "header from the heavens" against Athletic (Bilbao). It was a truly impressive goal from the defender who has retained his place in England's squad in the lead-up to the next World Cup. Let's take a look at the two teams and see how many headed goals they've scored this season across all competitions.

Brentford and Newcastle headed goals in 2025-26 (Source: FBref.com)

We'll wait and see if those numbers change after this weekend's game.

Other data stories

Bouncing back from losses

Brentford have lost 5 games this season, but have not yet lost 2 games in a row. They've bounced back from their previous losses with 3 wins and a draw. Their performances have been quite different in several areas.

Brentford's impressive response in games following a loss (Source: FBref.com)

Brentford's xG rating is nearly double in the game after a loss. Their xGa is actually a bit higher, which shows that they're not necessarily limiting chances at the other end. In terms of shooting, the Bees are getting more than double the shots on target and from significantly closer to the net. The Bees are also generating significantly more shot and goal creating actions in their games after losses. The Bees have blocked significantly more shots and passes in their post-loss matches.

There are some counter-intuitive numbers as well.

More is not always better for the Bees (Source: FBref.com)

The Bees have actually had much more possession in their losses. That possession has led to higher totals for touches and carries as well. It seems that the Bees have been much more efficient at generating chances with less of the ball, while still limiting opportunities at the other end of the pitch.