Newcastle United enjoy best start to a season for 13 years – Here’s the proof | OneFootball

What do you make to this Newcastle United start to the season?

Personally, I think NUFC have done ok.

Not brilliant, not terrible.

Only in brief spells has the attacking play clicked.

However, the defending, commitment and desire shown by the players, has been top notch.

This was shown no better than in the opening match of the season.

Newcastle United claimed to have an ‘easy’ start of the season in these matches before the first international break, starting with Southampton at home.

A man sent off after 28 minutes when the game is goalless, to then play another 73 minutes and keep a clean sheet AND score a winning goal, is nothing short of outstanding. Though bizarrely, as well as predictably those in the media, some Newcastle United fans refusing to acknowledge this as a great result and (battling) performance against the odds.

Playing Bournemouth away is rarely a comfortable visit for Newcastle United and indeed the vast majority of other Premier League clubs. Starting and finishing the match well but poor in the middle, United ended up only denied victory by a series of top class saves from the home keeper who was man of the match.

Getting the toughest draw possible (an eighth domestic away draw in a row as well!) from those clubs United could have  faced in the northern half, Newcastle again started and finished the 90 minutes the better team, not so good in the middle though. Then holding their nerve and progressing in the Carabao Cup on penalties.

Finally, up against last season’s fifth top, Tottenham, Newcastle United again struggling to click consistently going forward, yet still managed to create the better chances, took two of them and Isak should have had a penalty. Yet again the desire and commitment to the cause was superb.

The net result is four matches played, three wins and one draw, no defeat. five goals scored and three conceded.

However, where does this Newcastle United start place, when compared to the opening four matches in recent seasons…

Newcastle United starts to the season – The last 14:

2024/25 – Won 3 Drawn 1 Lost 0 GF 5 GA 3

2023/24 –  Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 3 GF 7 GA 7

2022/23 – Won 2 Drawn 2 Lost 0 GF 7 GA 4

2021/22 – Won 0 Drawn 1 Lost 3 GF 4 GA 8

2020/21 – Won 3 Drawn 0 Lost 1 GF 10 GA 3

2019/20 – Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 3 GF 3 GA 5

2018/19 – Won 0 Drawn 1 Lost 3 GF 3 GA 7

2017/18 – Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 3 GF 5 GA 6

2016/17 – Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 2 GF 6 GA 4

2015/16 – Won 1 Drawn 2 Lost 1 GF 6 GA 5

2014/15 – Won 1 Drawn 2 Lost 1 GF 4 GA 5

2013/14 – Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 1 GF 3 GA 4

2012/13 – Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 1 GF 4 GA 4

2011/12 – Won 3 Drawn 1 Lost 0 GF 5 GA 2

That’s right, 2024/25 is the best start to a Newcastle United season since 2011/22, 13 years ago. That was the season United went on to finish fifth and just like this season, Newcastle opened with three wins and a draw and scoring five goals, though conceding one less than this season. A goalless draw at home to Arsenal, then the Ryan Taylor over the wall at Sunderland 1-0 win, plus 2-1 home to Fulham in the Premier League as well whilst in the League Cup it was a 2-1 win at Scunthorpe after extra-time.

Indeed, in the last 12 years before this season, only once have Newcastle United managed three wins in their opening four games of the season.

Those stats are actually a typical Steve Bruce fluke as well.

The extended/split 2019/20 season due to Covid, saw 2020/21 not kick-off until September 2020.

As a result, they crammed three rounds of the League Cup into three midweeks in a row in September 2020. So two of those three ended up amongst Newcastle United’s first four games of the season – a fluke against Championship Blackburn who dominated at St James’ Park but lost to our only shot on target all night (the tubby rat, Ryan Fraser, getting a rare goal), then it was a 7-0 away at fourth tier Morecambe to go through to the fourth round (where away the next midweek at lowly Newport County, another fluke, trailing almost the entire game, Shelvey scoring very late on and then won on penalties).

That Brucey start to the 2020/21 season saw a 2-0 surprise win at West Ham to kick things off, followed swiftly by a reality check 3-0 hammering at home to Brighton.

Anyway, back to the present day and the BEST Newcastle United start to a season since 2011.

Nobody claims that this start to the season has been perfect BUT Newcastle United haven’t been shocking.

They have been in and out but defended well and still managed to make a decent number of good chances in these last three matches, whilst getting that excellent Joelinton winner in the opener.

Considering all the missing injured players and others not recovered 100% yet, plus those clearly not fully with it after extended summer breaks due to international duty, as well as Tonali and Schar missing games due to suspension, then for me this has been an outstanding effort to produce this Newcastle United start to the season.