Newcastle v West Ham Tips: Joe Cole First Goalscorer

Several teams can expect to leave the Etihad with their tail between their legs but Newcastle’s drubbing on Monday night was the last thing Alan Pardew wanted.

Newcastle finished a disappointing 16th last season and the malaise has seeped into the new season. The appointment of Joe Kinnear caused unnecessary stress, whilst star player Yohan Cabaye is unsettled by transfer speculation.

Set against this difficult backdrop Newcastle have to contest a home game against West Ham in front of a possibly hostile crowd.

Newcastle finished last season by losing three games in a row at St James’s Park, conceding 10 goals and failing to score. Meanwhile West Ham arrive in the North-East full of confidence after an impressive opening day win over Cardiff.

A resurgent Joe Cole was the star, with a man of the match performance. The 31-year-old still harbours dreams of an England recall and did his chances no harm by scoring the opening goal. The midfield registered five shots, the joint-fifth highest tally by any player in the opening round of fixtures.

Playing in an advance role, Cole should have further opportunities to score against a struggling Newcastle side. Throughout his career the midfielder has scored a goal on average every 381minutes, which compares favourably with fellow midfielder Kevin Nolan (goal every 358min) but is almost double the price.

The value is backing Joe Cole to open the scoring at 14/1 with Bet365. Place the bet each-way and get 1/3 odds if he scores at anytime during the match.