23 years ago Leeds 3 Newcastle 4 meant top of Premier League at Christmas | OneFootball

Leeds 3 Newcastle 4, what a day that was.

Sir Bobby Robson’s NUFC team coming back to win a blinding game from 3-1 down.

Only four days earlier Newcastle had won 3-1 at Arsenal and then this 4-3 win exactly 23 years ago today on 22 December 2001, meant Newcastle United were guaranteed to be top of the Premier League for Christmas 2001.

My own personal favourite week of supporting Newcastle United was this one back in December 2001, certainly in terms of a week of away games.

Showing just how quickly things can change, if Leeds had won that day then they would have been top at Christmas 2001. Only two seasons later (2003/04) they were relegated and doomed to a very lengthy spell away from the top tier, which only ended in 2020.

At 3-1 down things didn’t look good but what a thrilling fightback – a 4-3 win and who cared about the freezing conditions as Sir Bobby danced a little jig and we were ‘Top of the league’!!

Leeds 3 Newcastle 4

Subs Not Used: Woodgate, Keane, Robinson, Smith

Booked: Viduka, Kelly

Goals: Bowyer 38, Viduka 50, Harte 56

Newcastle: Given, Hughes, O’Brien, Dabizas (Distin 45), Elliott, Solano, Dyer, Speed, Robert (Bernard 78), Shearer, Bellamy (Lua-Lua 90)