Lee Dixon: Get ready for goals as Newcastle host Manchester United

With these two on the pitch there MUST be goals
Both clubs are missing key defensive personnel and with top strikers on either side we are surely set for a goalfest at St James' Park on Sunday afternoon, says Lee Dixon
Six games into the season and the pre-match assumption is that neither of these two teams have quite clicked yet.
That may be so, but a look at the table shows the visitors in third place while Newcastle, although 10th, have lost just one game from their opening six - and that was at leaders Chelsea.
Results haven't been too bad then, and fans of both should still be looking at the season as one of promise. Sure, Manchester United have already tasted defeat twice, but Everton and Spurs both look set for good seasons and Sir Alex Ferguson's teams are almost always involved when the trophies are being given out.
Newcastle have not regained the defensive solidity or attacking fluidity of last year it seems, and are struggling to put teams away with three draws form six Premier League games. But the personnel is still there and once Fabricio Coloccini and Tim Krul are back they will be a formidable unit once more.
United are also missing some key players ahead of the match with an entire back four (mainly composed of centrebacks admittedly) out. Nemanja Vidic is the big loss, but Jonny Evans was subbed against Cluj and, with Chris Smalling and Phil Jones still out, they need the Northern Irish international in the team alongside Rio Ferdinand.
At the other end of the pitch, the Reds are blessed with attacking riches to rival any club in the world. Wayne Rooney has only just come back from injury and we don't really know where he will be deployed alongside Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa. But the team's second-half performance against Spurs - where they scored two goals in a breathless 45 minutes, as well as hitting post and crossbar - suggests United won't struggle to score with those three around. It will click sooner rather than later, with players of that quality it just has to.
And I'm pretty sure it will click against Newcastle, in the sense that I think we'll see goals from the visitors. In fact, I'd be surprised if there aren't goals at both ends. Both are missing key defensive players and both boast attacking talent, with Demba Ba in red-hot form for the home side.
The Toon have proven hard to beat so far and Bordeaux were put away with ease on Thursday night, and I think they will hold United on Sunday. A draw is once again a nice price at around 4.03/1 and that's how I see it ending, though I would definitely lay off any liabilities if it's level late on. I do, however, fancy over 2.5 goals so there is a temptation to back a few big priced scorelines.
Recommended Bets
Back over 1.5 goals in first half @ 3.02/1
Back over 2.5 goals @ 1.84/5
Back the draw @ 4.03/1