The line-up to face Norwich will probably include Cheik Tiote, with Danny Guthrie on standby. Partnering Ba up front will be either Ameobi or Cisse. However, the latter recently picked up a groin injury and may start as a substitute. This is especially likely if Pardew decides to use long-ball tactics against a Norwich side that struggled with this threat earlier in the season.
Elsewhere, a question mark remains of Danny Simpson’s fitness at right back. The other place up for grabs is on the right of midfield. Ryan Taylor and Gabriel Obertan have played in this position so far this season. But with question marks over Taylor’s fitness and Obertan’s general form, Ben Arfa might just get the nod after some promising recent performances.
As a recent article on EPL Index shows, Ben Arfa is one of those players who can equally frustrate and amaze. While he has the potential to be brilliant on the ball, he is also prone to losing the ball too easily and taking too many touches. In the inverted winger role, Ben Arfa will look the cut in on to his preferred left foot. Norwich’s left-back should try to push Ben Arfa wide and keep him on his right foot as much as possible.
In terms of statistics, Newcastle rate pretty average in the key areas:
| 2011/2012 | Rank | ||
| Possession | 48% | 11 | |
| Pass Accuracy | 76% | 11 | |
| Shots per Game | 13 | 11 | |
| Dribbles per Game | 7 | 11 | |
| Aerial Duals Won per Game | 48% | 8 | |
| Shots Conceded per Game | 14 | 11 | |
| Tackles per Game | 20 | 11 | |
| Interceptions per Game | 15 | 12 | |
| Fouls per Game | 11 | 4 | |
Most of Newcastle’s goals come from open play:
| Type | Goals | Effect | |
| Open Play | 27 | 68% | |
| Set Piece | 6 | 15% | |
| Own Goal | 4 | 10% | |
| Penalty | 2 | 5% | |
| Fast Break | 1 | 3% | |
Coupled with Demba Ba’s goalscoring record this season, the percentage of goals from open play underlines the threat the striker poses to opposing teams. Another noticeable feature of Newcastle’s attack is that the wide men don’t play for the byline very often – they’ve had only 11 byline crosses all season. And their full-backs don’t tend to push too far forward to create chances either.
If it wasn’t for Demba Ba’s 16 goals this season Newcastle would undoubtedly be struggling at the other end of the league table. Newcastle’s next highest scorer is Leon Best with just 4 goals. Cisse’s recent arrival looks promising, however he is a very similar player to Ba. This could pose a problem when playing the two up front together.
Newcastle’s recent form has resulted in four games without a win. With question marks over their general fitness and fading European aspirations, it is a crucial period for Newcastle. They will be looking at the Norwich fixture as a game they should win, however, as Norwich can testify after the 1-1 draw with Wigan, this can create a pressure in its own right.
