These Newcastle United stats don’t lie with comparisons to Premier League rivals

Newcastle United are currently in arguably the most tricky part of their Premier League season.

Game after game.

Newcastle United player weekend, midweek, weekend, midweek…

Thankfully, the usual three months in a row of early season international breaks (September, October, November) are now at an end.

However, for clubs such as Newcastle United who are still in four competitions despite Santa calling (if we have been good…) in less than three weeks time, this relentless club schedule with no international breaks (where roughly at least half the NUFC players do get a break from playing matches!), is tough.

It had already become crystal clear in the early months of the season, that this is a very tight and competitive Premier League.

A season where you aren’t massively surprised if pretty much any of the teams takes points off another.

If you needed any more proof, recent weeks have been brutal in the top tier…

This is how many points each of the Premier League teams have picked up in their last four games:

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
3 Brentford
2 Bournemouth
0 Wolves, Burnley

As you can see, Villa the only ones to win all four PL matches.

Newcastle United then clear second best.

If you needed any further proof of how well United have done in this trickiest of periods, Everton and Man City have both won all of their other three matches, in this post-November international break period. Only defeats to…Newcastle United.

After Aston Villa, Newcastle United ARE the form team.

Yes, Eddie Howe’s side DID concede that later midweek goal against Spurs that prevented what would have been a perfect 12 points from 12, BUT the way some people go on, you would think United are the ONLY team this happens to.

If you are losing in added time, then you are going to throw everything at an equaliser, to give yourself a chance. If you are at home and see the chance of turning one point into three very late on, in most situations you will do the same.

On Saturday alone, we saw top team Arsenal concede in the fifth minute of added time and lose, whilst Liverpool threw away a two goal lead at Leeds, then went in front again BUT conceded in the sixth minute of added time to only get a 3-3 draw!

This is a tough and very competitive Premier League and picking up ten points in twelve matches is a great effort, exceptional at this busiest period of the season. Especially with Champions League demands as well.

Eddie Howe changed all three of his midfielders for the Burnley match and two of his attacking three on Saturday, as he juggles the demands of having had Spurs in midweek and now Leverkusen such a huge game on Wednesday.

It isn’t a completely straight line of progression but I think we have seen more than enough in these recent games, especially with now Wissa at last joining the party and Anthony Gordon looking back to his flying best against Spurs and Burnley. Hall and Livramento also looking great since their returns.

Hopefully get the likes of Trippier, Botman, Pope and Osula back as well.

This is how the Premier League table looks on this Sunday morning…

As you can see, Newcastle United now only three points off top four, as they have gained ground on everybody, apart from Villa, in these last four matches.

This season is still a huge opportunity in the Premier League.

Newcastle United also just one step away from yet another Carabao Cup semi-final and possibly two wins from the last three Champions League games away from top eight and automatic progression to the knockout stages.

This season is building now for Newcastle, it will still have bumps in the road but I think all the signs are that things are now coming together, that Newcastle United can continue on a very good run of form.

Where that will take us…we are about to find out.