This is a massive opportunity for Newcastle United | OneFootball

Newcastle United back in action.

The latest interminable international break finally coming to a close.

Newcastle United return to St James’ Park.

A huge opportunity.

Eddie Howe and his squad, over and above the unprecedented injury list this past five months or so, have had a strange fixture schedule.

From the very start of the season there has been little middle ground, facing four of last season’s top seven in the opening seven Premier League matches. With that sequence repeating itself in January, a month where NUFC had to play Liverpool and Villa away plus Man City at home, Brighton at St James’ Park the exception as that fixture is the final home game in May, at least it is as the schedule currently stands.

Analysis by the official Premier League site on Wednesday, confirmed what we pretty much already knew. Newcastle United having, at least on paper, the easiest end of season run-in of all PL clubs. Six of the ten matches are against teams in the bottom nine of the table, nobody in the top four left to play, whilst the games against clubs currently fifth to eighth in the table, three of those four are at home.

The opportunity is now here for Newcastle United and they simply have to take it.

After the latest internationals, Eddie Howe’s side have the perfect quickfire double at home. Having had Chelsea and Man City (in the FA Cup) both away directly before the break, it is now two very winnable looking games at St James’ Park only three days apart.

On Tuesday night it is Everton, a club that has massive problems on and off the pitch. Whilst they await their almost certain second points deduction of this season, the fact remains that Everton haven’t won in the Premier League for three and a half months, picking up only five points from a possible 33 and scoring only seven goals in their last 11 Premier League matches. They have only scored two goals away from home in the league since 16 December 2023.

Ahead of that, Newcastle face West Ham.

A quick glance and you might think the Hammers are doing ok but listening to their fanbase, it is quite clear there are some massive underlying issues that they see, that the media don’t want to acknowledge. Particularly the fans who are unhappy with David Moyes.

The current Premier League table:

A win for Newcastle United on Saturday would be massive in this current context of looking to finish the season as strong as possible. West Ham are currently seventh but if Eddie Howe’s side get the win, they move to within a point of the Hammers and with a game in hand.

As I say, scratch below the surface and you get an idea of why West Ham fans may have worries.

In their last 12 domestic matches, West Ham have only won two of them these past three months. Those two wins were against Everton who are on that even worse run of form, the only other against Brentford, who are in woeful form as well, the Bees have lost 13 of their last 17 games and won only two of them.

Nobody claims Newcastle United have been at their peak recently, but in comparison, looking far better than both West Ham and Everton. The last 12 games have seen Newcastle United win six , draw two and lose four. Those four defeats having been away at Arsenal and Chelsea, plus home and away against Man City.

No wins are easy in the Premier League BUT these two matches in the coming days can shape the rest of the season, if Newcastle United can take advantage of this pair of winnable home fixtures, by 9.30pm on Tuesday night I think we can all be looking up the table once again and looking to finish the season as strongly as possible. See where it can take us if putting a run of form and results together.

Premier League matches to mid-April 2024:

Tuesday 2 April 2024 – Newcastle v Everton (7.30pm) TNT Sports

Saturday 6 April 2024 – Fulham v Newcastle (3pm)

Saturday 13 April 2024 – Newcastle v Spurs (12.30pm) TNT Sports

Wednesday 24 April 2024 – Crystal Palace v Newcastle (8pm)

Saturday 27 April 2024 – Newcastle v Sheff Utd (3pm)

Newcastle United fixtures, including to be confirmed matches:

Saturday 4 May 2024 – Burnley v Newcastle

Saturday 11 May 2024 – Newcastle v Brighton

Sunday 19 May 2024 – Brentford v Newcastle (4pm)