Eight games in, and Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United are sitting in ninth place in the Premier League and, as we all know, that is not where the club’s Saudi owners expect the Magpies to be.
Under their recently new money-splashing ownership, Newcastle reached the promised land of the Champions League in 2023 but crashed out at the group stage. And last season, the Magpies limped to a seventh-place finish.
Financial Fair Play rules have restricted the club’s activity in the transfer market over the past 12 months, and that has undoubtedly slowed their momentum. Even so, Newcastle’s Premier League 2024 results have been patchy so far with three wins, three draws, and one defeat before Brighton visited St. James Park last weekend. And the Seagulls plundered all three points thanks to a Danny Welbeck goal, leaving the Geordies five points behind fourth place.
Of course, the gap would have been two points had Newcastle won in front of their 50,000 fans, and there was no shortage of effort, as Howe’s men dominated possession and won the shot count by 21 to 10 and six to five on target.
But a quickly taken free-kick caught the Magpies’ defence on the hop, and Welbeck was clinical in his finish. Newcastle’s attack failed to seriously test Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen, and the end result was a fourth Premier League game on the run without a victory.
Howe was frustrated, saying: “I think that’s the best we’ve looked, the most dominant we’ve been in a game and lo and behold, we have plenty of chances, don’t take them and concede a poor goal from Brighton’s first real meaningful attack.”
Recording only two goals from those four winless games is the problem for the Magpies, and they have been missing their most potent strikers Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak, though the Swedish forward was back for the clash with the Seagulls.
The Magpies have the players to boss most midfields with captain Bruno Guimaraes and the returned Sandro Tonali linking in the engine room, and they also have creative players on the flank with England’s Anthony Gordon and the recently recalled Harvey Barnes both with plenty of pace, skill, and crossing ability.
Isak and Wilson are both fine strikers, as the England man has 47 goals in 95 games for Newcastle, while Isak has 32 in 57. If these two can stay fit, and it’s a big if, they will take the chances when they come, and Howe will have more to smile about.
Who do the Magpies have to beat?
Well, the Premier League 2024 betting odds suggest there’s only once top four place to go for with Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool heavily fancied to take the top three spots. This SBOTOP writer happens to agree, which means that there will be an almighty scramble for that fourth place, and it is hugely competitive.
Chelsea look the most likely to join the top three in next season’s Champions League having made an impressive start under new manager Enzo Maresca. The Blues made their way into the top four after a run of three consecutive league wins, part of a five-match winning run in all competitions
But they have stuttered since, drawing at home to Nottingham Forest then losing by the odd goal in three away to league leaders Liverpool. Chelsea bossed much of the game against the Reds, with more of the ball and more shots, but they fell to a Mohamed Salah penalty and a Curtis Jones goal after Nicolas Jackson had levelled for the Blues.
Jackson took his goal brilliantly and is starting to look like a top-class Premier League striker, while Cole Palmer is undoubtedly one of the best creative players in the world, with a brilliant dead ball delivery too.
Tottenham Hotspur are in their second season under Ange Postecoglou, and they currently sit in seventh place, on the shoulders of Chelsea and, while they have had an inconsistent start to their campaign, the return of captain Heung Min-Son makes them look like contenders once again.
The South Korean star was on target as Spurs hammered West Ham United 4-1 last week, and if he stays fit, the Spurs have a fair chance.
Aston Villa are the team in the final Champions League spot at the moment after they won 3-1 away to Fulham at the weekend and, after finishing fourth last season, Unai Emery’s team is thriving in Europe, already beating Bayern Munich. The Villans will be a threat if they can balance their domestic and European workload successfully.
Brighton, currently in fifth, can’t be ruled out, though Manchester United, in 12th after a win over Brentford at the weekend, have a long way to catch up and they look dysfunctional at the moment.
If Fabian Hurzeler can get the Seagulls into the Champions League at his first attempt, he will surely win Manager of the Season.
I have a feeling that seventh will be where the Geordies will finish again this season, and that is an uneasy position for their manager to be in.
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