Newcastle United face Norwich City in what is a must-win game for The Magpies, who are bottom of The Premier League winless still after 13 games, six points off safety, but who know from previous campaigns they can bounce back from adversity and thrive.

After picking up just six points from the opening 39 available, Tuesday's match is a six-pointer and a first win will see Eddie Howe's men leapfrog over Dean Smith's Canaries on goal difference, a team containing former goalkeeper Tim Krul whom Steve Bruce's Magpies beat 3-0 in pre-season, a result which desperately needs to be repeated.

Momentum is huge in football and a first win of the season could kickstart a Toon revival at least in mood and belief in the camp as well as points ahead of a difficult run of fixtures before the increasingly-important January transfer window opens and a first chance to splash some of the new Saudi cash that will undoubtedly transform the club.

On Saturday, Newcastle lost 2-0 to Arsenal after second-half goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabrielle Martinelli in controversial circumstances after Newcastle had two strong penalty appeals turned down for Emile Smith-Rowe's first-half pull on Fabian Schar in the area at a corner and when Callum Wilson was pushed down by Nuno Tavares.

A bemused Eddie Howe said of the Wilson penalty incident:

"'I don’t know why Callum would go down – he was one-on-one, a great chance. Games swing on those moments. It feels like those big calls have gone against us.'"

, a crucial penalty that could have been an equaliser at 1-1 just before Arsenal's second and Daily Mirror Journalist Darren Lewis on SKY Sports News echoed Newcastle fans on social media wondering if there is a Premier League refereeing conspiracy against the club in the fall-out of the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed takeover going through.

Yet Newcastle must put that behind them for now and beat Norwich, a team who they beat 3-0 in pre-season under former Manager Steve Bruce at St James' Park, thanks to two goals from Dwight Gayle and an opener from Matt Ritchie.

After picking up their fifth yellow cards of the season against Arsenal, Ritchie and United skipper Jamaal Lascelles are both suspended for the Norwich game so it looks like a big chance for the forgotten men Jamal Lewis and Fede Fernandez, both of whom have been bizarrely frozen out of the Newcastle camp recently:

Eddie Howe has only been in the hot seat at St James' Park for a few weeks so can be forgiven for not knowing his best team and all about his newly-inherited squad just yet but his no.2 Jason Tindall has said "everyone in the squad would be used at some point" and Lewis' and Fernandez' chances to impress may well have arrived on Howe's home debut in the Newcastle dug-out after missing the Brentford game due to Covid-19.

In the opposite dugout on Tuesday night will be Dean Smith, in just his third game as Norwich City Manager after being sacked by Aston Villa and within a week taking up the vacant post at Carrow Road created by the sacking of Daniel Farke, who left the club after recording Norwich's first win of the season against Brentford.

Smith followed that win up with a win versus Southampton in his first game in charge...

...and then drew 0-0 with Wolves on Saturday and its not just Newcastle who will be viewing Tuesday's game as a six-pointer with a fixture list ahead that contains games against Spurs, Man U, Aston Villa, West Ham, Arsenal & Crystal Palace left in 2021.

Smith paid tribute to opposite manager Howe as a "trailblazer" for English coaches...

before revealing he was "pleasantly surpised" at the quality of the Norwich City squad at his disposal who have deserved their four points from six since his arrival, momentum he hopes they can continue on the long journey up North to play Newcastle:

In Howe's own pre-match presser on his 44th birthday, the Head Coach revealed Covid had hit him hard but he was recovering, that there were no fresh injury concerns from Saturday's game although the suspended Lascelles and Ritchie would be "big misses", Dwight Gayle could be back and he was taking training and each game step by step :

He hinted the club have already started making their January transfer window plans but was concentrating on the here and now and a massive game against Norwich City:

Prediction - Newcastle 3 Norwich City 1

Potential Line-Ups: