Premier League football returns to St. James’ Park this week, and with it comes a perfect chance to forget all the behind the scenes drama and simply enjoy the Magpies’ 2018-19 campaign.
A tenth place finish last season understandably had Toon fans anticipating a fresh approach to this summer’s transfer market, with steady improvement the goal made possible through new signings that would add some much needed quality to the team.
Fast forward a few months and one can see that Newcastle supporters are a resilient bunch. Despite players’ protests over bonus payments, or the state of Mike Ashley’s ownership reaching U.K. Parliament – we can at least all rejoice in the fact that Rafa Benitez still manages the club. A disappointing pre-season aside, many of the club’s players enjoyed career-high statistics last season.
New arrivals include Kenedy (returning) and Salomon Rondon on loan, alongside the permanent signings of goalkeeper Martin Dubravka (returning), Japanese international striker Yoshinori Muto, Swiss international defender Fabian Schar, and South Korean captain Ki Sung-yueng.
Big name signings are very few and far between in the North East, but Benitez has recouped some excellent value from what has reportedly been an extremely frustrating transfer window for the Spaniard.
Newcastle retain some continuity with Dubravka and Kenedy, but also give the striker position a much needed impetus of competition with fresh and experienced faces alike. If Schar and Ki can bolster the spine of the side, then perhaps this season could be less of a roller coaster than the 2017-18 campaign.
Many thanks, @alanshearer!!! It makes me very proud and it's an honour to wear the number 9 shirt that you had so much success in. I'll be giving my all to do the shirt justice. ✋🏾⚪️9️⃣⚫️ #NUFC https://t.co/q3iHARMrzo
— Salomón Rondón (@salorondon23) August 7, 2018
11th August: Tottenham Hotspur (Home)
This season kicks off in a familiar fashion, but fans will be hoping for a different result to last season’s 2-0 defeat at St. James’ Park. The North London outfit have done little recruiting this summer, but boast a youthful squad with bags of European experience and quality after reaching the last 16 of the Champions League.
2018 World Cup Golden Boot winner and England captain, Harry Kane, will be looking to replicate his 30 goals in 37 EPL appearances last season. Newcastle United’s player of the year, Jamaal Lascelles, will likely have to get his new defensive partner Schar up to speed in a hurry if the Magpies are to have a chance in this game.
Newcastle were undone by a Kane goal in their 1-0 loss away to Spurs in May, but if Shelvey’s 14th minute free kick went in instead of striking the post the result could easily have been different. It’s best to keep expectations low given this is a side that finished in third place last season, but there’s no better time to play a good side than on the first day of the season when a little bit of rust is to be expected. Hopefully the Toon Army really ramp up the atmosphere and unite behind their players who are capable of causing an upset.
Prediction: 2-1 Spurs
18th August: Cardiff City (Away)
It’s never pretty with Neil Warnock, but even with his polarising nature there’s no doubting the achievement of turning what was an average Cardiff City side into a Premier League outfit in such a short period of time.
Pundits are tipping the Welsh side as easy relegation candidates this year, and no wonder given their four new signings have only 11 Premier League games between them. However, Warnock has clearly mustered an underdog atmosphere at the club and his players will be tireless and combative in their approach, no less at the Cardiff City Stadium where Newcastle will have to travel and defeat a side buoyed with the excitement of Premier League football.
On paper this should be a simple victory for the Magpies, but Cardiff wingers Junior Hoilett and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing are dangerous on either side of Warnock’s 4-2-3-1, and £10m midfielder-turned-striker Bobby Reid from Bristol City will be wanting to make headlines in what could be his home debut. In the end Kenedy, Ayoze Perez and Matt Ritchie should have a field day against this defense, but expect a very forgettable 90 minutes of football.
Prediction: 1-0 Newcastle
26th August: Chelsea (Home)
With the apparent dysfunction of Antonio Conte gone and replaced with a fresher Italian face in Maurizio Sarri, Chelsea are very much a side in transformation as Newcastle progress onto their third and final game of August.
Benitez will be happy to face a big side at such an early stage and even more so with Chelsea’s players adjusting from Conte’s three at the back to Sarri’s 4-3-3 formation. Before almost winning the Serie A, Sarri won only one of his first give games in charge with Napoli, and an away trip to St. James’ Park could arguably be a tougher fixture for this Chelsea side than it is for Newcastle.
The Magpies demolished Conte’s Chelsea in the final game of last season as the Magpies claimed a 3-0 victory thanks to a Dwight Gayle opener and an Ayoze Perez brace in front of an ecstatic home crowd.
If Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City in the Community Shield is anything to go by, Sarri has a lot of work to do before the London club can be considered title contenders. Regardless, Newcastle will have to contend with players such as Hazard, Morata, Kante and Willian.
A loss would hardly be the end of the world, but with little love lost between Benitez and Chelsea, the Spaniard will be extra motivated to win this one. With a little luck, and perhaps Rondon bullying the uncertain central defensive partnership of David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger, Newcastle could grab a result here.