Six straight league wins have sent Newcastle into the rarefied air of the top flight’s top three at Christmas, and Eddie Howe’s men appear to be marching their way into contention for a Champions League place next season – if not the Premier League title race.
The Magpies simply swept aside Leicester City in their first league outing since the World Cup, and a superb opening half-hour at the King Power Stadium took them into a three-goal lead which
they would not relinquish. Chris qWood’s early penalty set them on their way, before Miguel Almiron’s latest strike and a Joelintongoal effectively sealed the deal before half time.
Unbeaten in all competitions since losing at Anfield in August – their only defeat of the season so far – Newcastle now seek to sign off a brilliant year with a win; roared on by supporters who are beginning to believe anything is possible under the steady hand of Howe.
Before Leeds visit St James’ on New Year’s Eve, only Cambridge United and Liverpool have toppled the Toon at home in 2022, a run of results which included booking a place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals last week with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth.
Set to meet Leicester again in the last eight of that competition, they have totally turned things around this year, and are just two points behind reigning champions Manchester City; also sitting clear of both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
When they last faced Leeds in the Premier League, back in January, Newcastle were second-bottom and had won once in 20 games. How things have changed since.
Then leading their Geordie counterparts by 10 points in the table, Leeds have managed to post less than half Newcastle’s tally of 70 points in the intervening period.
Jesse Marsch’s men also arrive in the North East with the division’s second-worst away record, having won just once on the road this term – and they have shipped goals at a rate of more than two per game on their travels.
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Of course, they did defeat Liverpool at Anfield shortly before the World Cup break, but have followed that last-gasp success with three losses from four competitive matches following a 3-1 reverse at home to Manchester City in midweek.
Leeds-born Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach 20 Premier League goals as the champions eventually overcame a stubborn side deployed by Marsch to deny their visitors time and space at Elland Road. Ultimately, Pascal Struijk’s headed goal from a corner proved just a minor consolation.
Conceding 10 times in their last three league games is surely a source of concern, as they now encounter another team in full flight near the top of the table – and Newcastle have also given away just five goals at home this season.
If results elsewhere do not go their way, the Whites could even slip into the relegation zone heading into the new year, so even avoiding defeat may be seen as a success on Saturday
