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Andrew Musgrove

Dean Smith highlights key area Norwich City can get at Newcastle United

Norwich City boss Dean Smith is hoping to silence St James' Park and take advantage of the pressure on Newcastle United.

The two sides meet on Tuesday - United 20th in the table and Norwich just one place above, with many accepting that this is a must-win game for Newcastle.

New head coach Eddie Howe will take to the touchline for the first time at St James' Park as Toon boss and it should make for a fantastic atmosphere - but Smith is determined to spoil the party.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Smith said: "Players can feel the anxiety from the supporters, and any mistake that happens or misplaced ball, there can be a deep breath within the stadium.

"We have to force those mistakes and if we can get those silences it shows we are doing okay.

"If we can quite that crowd down it shows our performance levels are there."

With both sides struggling at the back - 55 goals already conceded between them in the Premier League this season - Smith is hoping his team show a bit more defensively.

The former Aston Villa boss - who has picked up four points from his first two games in charge of Norwich - is well aware of the threat some of United's players have.

Asked about the prospect of a high-scoring game, Smith said: "I hope not because my first thing was to become a tough team to beat, so I don't want to see that open basketball game.

"They've got some really good ballplayers in Saint-Maximin, players like Callum Wilson who can get in behind the defenders and score goals so we have to be aware of that threat.

"There's pressure on themselves because they haven't won a game yet this season and with new ownership and new management it builds pressure.

"But there's pressure on ourselves, what we put on ourselves because we believe we can climb out of the bottom three. So there's pressure on both teams but in different ways."

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