Newcastle United are currently in perhaps the most difficult part of their Premier League season.
Game after game.
Newcastle United players weekend, midweek, weekend, midweek…
Fortunately, the usual three months in a row of early season international breaks (September, October, November) have now come to an end.
For clubs like Newcastle United, who despite Santa’s call (if we’ve been good…) are still playing in four competitions in less than three weeks, this brutal club schedule with no international breaks (where around half of NUFC players do get a break from playing matches!) is tough.
In the first months of the season it had already become crystal clear that this is a very tight and competitive Premier League.
A season in which you are not terribly surprised if almost one of the teams scores points from the other.
If you need any further proof, the last few weeks have been brutal in the top flight…
This is the number of points each of the Premier League teams has achieved in their last four matches:
12 Aston Villa
10 Newcastle United
9 Man City, Everton
7 Arsenal, Brighton, Palace
6 Forest, Fulham
5 Chelsea, Man U, West Ham, Liverpool
4 Sunderland, Spurs, Leeds
3Brentford
2 Bournemouth
0 Wolves, Burnley
As you can see, Villa are the only ones to have won all four PL matches.
Newcastle United then remained in second place.
If you need further proof of how well United have done in this most difficult period, Everton and Man City have both won all their other three games in this post-November international break. Only defeats against… Newcastle United.
After Aston Villa, Newcastle United is the form team.
Yes, Eddie Howe’s side did concede that goal against Spurs later in the week, which prevented a perfect 12 points from 12, BUT as some people go on, you’d think United would be the ONLY team for this to happen.
If you lose in extra time, you will throw everything at the equalizer to give yourself a chance. If you are at home and very late see the opportunity to convert one point into three, you will do the same in most situations.
On Saturday alone we saw top team Arsenal concede and lose in the fifth minute of extra time, while Liverpool threw away a two goal lead at Leeds and then took the lead again, BUT conceded in the sixth minute of extra time to only get a 3-3 draw!
This is a tough and highly competitive Premier League and to achieve ten points in twelve games is a major effort, exceptional at this busiest time of the season. Especially with the demands of the Champions League.
Eddie Howe changed all three of his midfielders for the game against Burnley and two of his three attacking players on Saturday, as he juggles the demands of Spurs in midweek and now Leverkusen such a big game on Wednesday.
It’s not a completely straight line of progress, but I think we’ve seen more than enough in recent games, especially with Wissa finally joining the party and Anthony Gordon looking back on his best performances against Spurs and Burnley. Hall and Livramento have also looked great since their return.
Hopefully they also get Trippier, Botman, Pope and Osula back.
This is what the Premier League table looks like on Sunday morning…
As you can see, Newcastle United are now just three points behind the top four, having gained ground on everyone but Villa in their last four games.
This season still offers a huge opportunity in the Premier League.
Newcastle United are also just one step away from yet another Carabao Cup semi-final and potentially two wins from their last three Champions League games away from the top eight and automatic progression to the knockout stages.
This season is now building for Newcastle, it will still have bumps in the road, but I think all signs point to things now coming together and Newcastle United can continue their good form.
Where that will take us… we’re about to find out.
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