Newcastle play Watford at St James' Park on Saturday in a must-win 6-pointer that could have huge ramifications for the 2021/22 season relegation race with both teams needing a win and all three points to climb away from the danger zone.

Eddie Howe is looking to secure a second win as Magpies boss after an exit to Cambridge United in The FA Cup last week means Newcastle can fully concentrate on Premier League survival without any Cup distractions which will be a relief to many with two postponed games needing to be rearranged and scheduled in the calendar.

Newcastle are bolstered by the arrival of New Zealand striker Chris Wood from Burnley for £25M after activating his release clause which will severely weaken The Clarets especially with Maxwell Cornet away on international duty at The African Nations Cup and strengthen The Magpies with a powerful, goal-scoring aerial presence in the attack:

Wood will give Newcastle a new dimension in the air writes Adrian Clarke for The Premier League which could prove especially effective against Watford, who have conceded the third most headed goals in the English top flight this season with seven:

Although Callum Wilson is a decent header of the ball, Newcastle haven't enjoyed true aerial prowess since Andy Carroll left the club in summer and, ironically, the Geordie striker is being linked with a move to Sean Dyche's team to replace Wood at Burnley.

Eddie Howe can also welcome back long-term absentee Paul Dummett, who has trained all week and took to Twitter to declare himself fit for the type of crucial game that he thrives in and Newcastle's defence is always far more solid with the Geordie stopper involved whether at left-back or in the centre of defence:

It'll be interesting to see which formation & team Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall select on Saturday with the 5-3-2 formation that Graeme Jones was credited with inspiring so successful in the run-in last season that saved Steve Bruce's and Newcastle bacon and spectacularly so with 17 points from the last nine games to finish 12th spot a distinct possibility to maximise Wood's aerial effectiveness feeding off the crosses of wing-backs Kieran Trippier & Matt Ritchie, who struggles in back four yet thrives in a five. It was a formation that brought out the best and goals in then-loan signing Joe Willock and provided Newcastle with real defensive stability and prowess going forward that was the undoing of the likes of West Ham, Burnley, Sheffield United and Fulham whom Newcastle beat while picking up big points against Spurs and Liverpool.

Alternatively, a 4-4-2 with Wood and Allan Saint-Maximum - who was voted the North-East Football Writer's Footballer of 2021 - up front with Ryan Fraser and Ritchie on the wings supplying service to Wood could also hit Watford where it hurts but is more defensively exposed.

Newcastle drew 1-1 with Watford at Vicarage Road back in September thanks to this superb strike by Sean Longstaff:

but it was a game that will be remembered for Jacob Murphy's last-minute miss and nothing less than all three points will be acceptable for Newcastle on Saturday.

Saturday's referee is Paul Tierney, who was also ref when Newcastle beat Burnley 1-0 in December, despite a poor first half from the man in the middle but its surely a good omen Newcastle won with the Belfast whistler, who had a great game when Newcastle beat Manchester City 2-1 in January 2019.

Watford have lost six games on the bounce in The Premier League and Claudio Ranier will be looking to arrest this alarming sequence of results in their next 3 games which will make or break their season against fellow relegation strugglers Newcastle, Burnley and Norwich:

Watford blocked star striker Emmanuel Dennis going to The African Nations Cup insisting his national side Nigeria registered their interest in him too late according to Ranieri and were accused by the Nigerian FA of "baring their fangs" but nevertheless The Hornets have four key men away at the tournament - William Troost-Ekong with Nigeria, Adam Masina and Imran Louza from Morocco and Senegal's Ismaila Sarr.

Ranieri has largely played a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formation this term & in both free-scoring Dennis is the danger man with eight goals in 17 Premier League games so far although Newcastle managed to keep him quiet in the away game earlier in the season and former Magpie Moussa Sissoko is the midfield general and Hornets Captain hoping to get one over on his former side and keep Watford up.

Watford have acquired three players so far in the January transfer window to help shore up their leaky defence and stiffen the midfield in the shape of left-back Hassane Kamara from the Ivory Coast, Brazilian centre-back Samir from Udinese and Congo midfielder Edo Kayembe.

Yet Newcastle's signing of Chris Wood against an already-shaky Watford back-line furthered weakened by first-choice defenders in Africa should see the Magpies home and dry and it could be a baptism of fire for all three new Hornets signings if Wood backed up by a Saint-Maximin masterclass show exactly why they believe they will survive & thrive.

Prediction - Newcastle 3 Watford 1

Potential Line-Ups: