With the elongated three-week international break upon us, we won't see Newcastle United in action again until October 12th, which could be a positive or negative depending on how you look at it.
The Magpies will be hoping this period gives Matthias Jaissle a good chance to continue his work on the training ground, although quite a few members of the first-team squad are away with their respective countries.
Either way, Newcastle face an interesting run of fixtures when they return, with four games across October that could provide another useful test of Jaissle's side.
Coventry City (A): October 12th
Newcastle United fans will have breathed a sigh of relief when Nottingham Forest got beat by Coventry last weekend, mainly because we know all too well what happens when a team needs to break a duck and plays Newcastle.
The Hull City game went some way to easing the concerns that the Magpies will struggle against low blocks, something which will serve them well in this one as Coventry will likely come to contain.
The expectation will be to see Jaissle's men have the majority of the ball. It will simply be a case of whether the Magpies can use it well enough to create chances whilst also guarding against being caught in transition, which has been a problem for the midfield at times.
Aston Villa (H): October 17th
Newcastle then welcome an Aston Villa side who look to be really struggling in their current transition period under Unai Emery. They did win their first game of the season last time out against Spurs, but that doesn't really count for much because everyone beats Spurs...
This one is actually quite difficult to know what to expect. Newcastle vs Villa is usually a fixture that throws up chaos in some form, but neither of the two sides have been particularly strong when it comes to chance creation and xG this season, with Villa sitting bottom of the division and Newcastle 16th for the latter of those statistics.
It must be said that both teams are also in the bottom three for the xG they have conceded this season too though. So this one genuinely has the feel of a game that could be any scoreline.
The key for the Magpies will be making the most of the chances they do create. If Villa are anything to go by this season, they could give Newcastle more chances than they've had in any game, which Jaissle's men will need to capitalise on given how many chances they also give up.
Crystal Palace (A): 25th October
Crystal Palace are another side who haven't exactly set the world alight this season, but do also have Europe to contend with.
Speaking of Europe, Palace actually face Besiktas in the midweek before the Newcastle fixture, which could play right into the hands of Matthias Jaissle.
We have already spoken about the importance of getting the press right to the Magpies' success this season. Facing a side coming off the back of a long away trip may well present the opportunity to really press high and run all over what should be a fatigued Palace side.
Newcastle will need to make sure they take advantage of that potential fatigue early, rather than allowing Palace to settle into the game. If Jaissle can get his side pressing effectively from the start, this could be a fixture where the Magpies' intensity gives them a significant advantage.
Everton (A): 29th October - EFL Cup
Newcastle actually play Everton back-to-back, one in the cup and then in the league, and they will be two affairs where Jaissle is out for vengeance after the pre-season defeat against the Toffees.
Everton are one of five unbeaten teams in the division at present, something which may well have changed by the time the two sides meet, but also have the joint best defence in the league too.
It will be interesting to see which of the two games each team prioritise but, with the cup game being away from home for the Magpies, it will likely be a much different prospect to the league fixture.
Moyes' men aren't exactly high-scoring, but they have won games this season purely based on their defensive solidity, something that Newcastle will need to think up a tactical solution for given their poor Xg record.
The key to success could be in the wide areas, with the likes of Harvey Barnes and his partnership with Lewis Hall standing out as an area where the Magpies can get at Everton. It feels like another game where finishing chances will be paramount in securing a place in the hat for the next round.
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