Newcastle United host West Ham United at St James’ Park on Saturday in what is sure to be one of the more intriguing Premier League games this weekend.
Both clubs have lost their opening two fixtures of the top flight campaign and are in desperate need of points to get their respective seasons kick-started.
While the Magpies have been beaten 2-0 at home by Tottenham Hotspur and 1-0 away against fellow newly-promoted side Huddersfield Town last Saturday, the Irons have lost twice on the road against Manchester United and Southampton.
They were unfortunate to concede a last-gasp winner in the latter, and the east London outfit now face their third successive away trip with their London Stadium home still not ready following the 2017 World Athletics Championships.
There has also been some memorable incidents, goals and transfers between the two clubs during their time in the Premier League.
Here are six of the craziest moments featuring Newcastle and West Ham during the last 25 years…
Nolberto Solano transfer (August 31, 2006)
The transfer of Solano from Newcastle to West Ham was certainly a strange one.
In his second spell at St James’ Park, the Peruvian’s contract was due to run out at the end of the 2006/07 campaign, and he had said that he would be “crazy” to move on to another club considering he was 32 years of age.
However, despite signing a new one-year contract with the Magpies, Solano quickly changed his mind as he wanted to be closer to his family in London, and he signed a one-year deal with West Ham just a couple of months later.
Leon Best hat-trick (January 5, 2011)
Best has only scored 10 Premier League goals in his whole career, and three of those came for Newcastle in a 5-0 win against West Ham at St James’ Park on his first-ever start in the division.
The striker had missed a glorious opportunity the previous week against Wigan and it would have been a surprise to some of the Mahpes faithful that he started against the Irons.
However, Best calmed any nerves or worries by netting twice in the first-half to truly make his mark, before completing his treble on the hour-mark to leave Avram Grant’s side at the bottom of the table.
Kevin Nolan transfer (June 16, 2011)
Nolan made a huge impression during his two-and-a-half seasons with Newcastle, scoring 30 goals in 91 appearances in all competitions including 12 in 30 Premier League outings in his final campaign at St James’ Park.
However, despite his successes with the Toon Army the midfielder made the surprise decision to join Championship side West Ham United on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee that summer, and he was immediately named as the new Irons captain.
It is a move that would have disappointed the Tyneside outfit with terms not being agreed on a new contract for the popular player.
Moussa Sissoko dismissal (November 29, 2014)
Newcastle came into their clash against West Ham at the Boleyn Ground in November having won six successive Premier League matches and having not conceded a goal in 490 minutes of top flight football.
However, that run came to an end in east London as Aaron Cresswell’s goal gave the hosts a 1-0 win, but the Magpies’ Moussa Sissoko stole the headlines as he was booked twice inside 46 seconds to receive his marching orders and all but end his side’s chances of getting back in the game.
After first kicking the ball away, the Frenchman then fouled Andy Carroll less than a minute later to be sent for an early bath in one of the most bizarre red card incidents in Premier League history.
Jonas Gutierrez goal (May 24, 2015)
Newcastle came into their final day clash against West Ham at St James’ Park knowing that only a win would guarantee their Premier League survival for another season.
The Magpies failed to make the breakthrough in a nervy first-half performance but after Moussa Sissoko scored 10 minutes after the break, something that would have been unthinkable just a few months earlier occurred five minutes from time.
Jonas Gutierrez only returned to the starting line-up in March following treatment on testicular cancer, but he popped with an emotional goal that ensure that the Tyneside outfit would be playing top flight football for at least another year.
Dimitri Payet goal (September 14, 2015)
There have been some brilliant goals between these two clubs over the years, but one of the best was Dimitri Payet’s stunning strike at the Boleyn Ground in 2015.
Irons captain Mark Noble had worked his way into the penalty area, but short of options he laid the ball back to the edge of the area for Payet, who was running towards the ball.
The Frenchman then unleashed a first-time curling rocket into the top corner past Magpies goalkeeper Tim Krul, who had no chance of keeping it out.