Newcastle United: The club of streaks during the 2017/18 season
By Durim Halimi
Newcastle United have been one of the most inconsistent clubs in the Premier League this season. With three different streaks this campaign, Newcastle were an unpredictable side.
Rafa Benitez has turned an insurmountable challenge of avoiding relegation upside down as his Magpies are tenth in the table. Although Newcastle are enjoying their football now, the path to success was not easy nor pretty.
Every club in the Premier League has their fair share of streaks, but this season it is Newcastle United that stand out from the crowd. A mix of winning and losing streaks this season made the Magpies unpredictable.
This campaign witnessed Newcastle lose to Huddersfield Town, Brighton and draw with West Brom while also defeating Manchester United, Leicester City and Arsenal. The Toon Army has seen it all this season, but most importantly they are able to appreciate Newcastle’s strong finish.
Three Game Winning Streak
Time Period: August 26th to September 16th
After starting the season with two losses to Tottenham and Huddersfield Town, Newcastle earned three victories in a row. Those three victories enabled the Magpies to climb the table rather quickly early in the season.
Newcastle claimed their first victory of the campaign by dominating West Ham at home 3-0. That victory then sparked much-needed confidence within the club and led to victories against Swansea City and Stoke City.
During this three game winning streak, Newcastle scored six goals and only conceded once. Benitez was pleased with the results, but the season still had 33 matches remaining at that point.
Nine Game Win-less Streak
Time Period: October 30th to December 16th
This was undoubtedly the worst part of the season for Newcastle. Only earning one point from a possible 27 created a toxic environment around the club. Most supporters put the blame on Mike Ashley for not providing Benitez with financial support.
A small, but growing number of supporters also began to hold Benitez accountable for the club’s poor form and expressed their displeasure. The club looked lost, helpless and had zero confidence for two months.
The Magpies were becoming relegation favorites as a result of their poor form. Newcastle salvaged a point against West Brom, but lost eight matches to the following opponents:
Home: Bournemouth, Watford, Leicester City and Everton
Away: Burnley, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal
Four Game Winning Streak
Time Period: March 10th – April 15th
The good news is, as everyone knows, the dark times are in the past for Newcastle. The Magpies have been in great form since the start of the new year, both home and away. Last month was successful for Newcastle as they claimed three victories at home and one on the road.
Benitez’s men took 12 points from Southampton, Huddersfield Town, Leicester City and Arsenal to enter the top half of the table. During this winning streak, Newcastle were able to score eight goals and only conceded two goals in two of the four matches.
Undefeated at St. James’ Park
Time Period: December 30th – Present
Newcastle’s dominance at home is one of the key bright spots of the 2017/18 season. Newcastle have transformed St. James’ Park into a true fortress as they have been undefeated at home since December 30th.
Newcastle’s overall form at St. James’ Park since December 30th consists of four victories and three draws. Looking more closely at the statistics from each match, the Magpies scored nine goals and only conceded three.