Newcastle United must win two of their next three games in order to make significant progress towards Premier League safety.
Newcastle United suffered a major setback in London last night when they suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Newcastle United were underdogs in that game and a loss was expected, but the last thing Steve Bruce needed was for his side to concede four goals.
The Magpies played well in the first half and came close to taking the lead on two occasions, but they collapsed in shocking fashion in the second half. The Gunners walked all over the Magpies and scored four of the easiest goals they will score all season. Conceding four goals like that hurts Newcastle United in terms of goal differential, which is now at -16.
That being said, yesterday’s 4-0 defeat in London places a lot of pressure on the Magpies to perform and bounce back. Newcastle United have a favorable schedule coming up and they could reserve their place in the Premier League next season with three consecutive wins, but winning of two of their next three games would bring this team close to safety.
Next Three Games
- Crystal Palace (Away) – February 22nd
- Burnley (Home) – February 29th
- Southampton (Away) – March 7th
Must Win Twice
All three of these games are winnable fixtures, but this is the Premier League, so anything can happen. Newcastle United’s record against these teams this season consists of two victories and one loss, with those two victories being at home against Southampton and Crystal Palace.
Two wins from their next three games would put the Magpies at 37 points, which might actually be enough to avoid relegation this season. The Magic number relegation-threatened teams traditionally chase is 40 points, but winning two of their next three games should be the club’s primary objective at the moment.
Newcastle United’s only home game during this stretch will be against Burnley. Even though Burnley are in good form at the moment, the Magpies will be expected to play with plenty of urgency in front of their home fans to claim all three points. As far as the other two games are concerned, Newcastle United’s best chance of winning will be next weekend at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace are the lowest-scoring team in the Premier League with 23 goals, and the last two meetings at Selhurst Park have been close battles. Southampton, on the other hand, are a dangerous mid-table side that can cause problems for the Magpies at St. Mary’s Stadium. The Saints will play Aston Villa and West Ham leading up to their clash with Newcastle United, so they could enter that game with momentum on their side.