As Newcastle United prepare for another historic night in the Champions League, we’re looking back at a big Premier League result the Magpies achieved 30 years ago to the day.
Newcastle United will be looking to build on their positive result against Man City at the weekend by securing a win in the Champions League away at Marseille on Tuesday night.
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Results in the Premier League have not been good enough this season, regardless of that shock victory over Pep Guardiola, and Newcastle’s run of fixtures is looking tough leading up to Christmas, too.
But, at this point 30 years ago, the Magpies were flying, and it was Newcastle legend Peter Beardsley who fired them to a crucial win over Leeds United to stay at the top of the table.
Newcastle were top of the league in 1995
Roll back the years to November 25, 1995, and Newcastle United enjoyed a 2-1 win over Leeds United at St. James’ Park in gameweek 15 of the 1995/96 Premier League season.
The Magpies actually fell behind in the first half when Brian Deane converted on the half-hour mark for the away team. But, after the break, a quickfire double from Newcastle turned the game on its head.
Rob Lee scored the first goal in the 70th minute and then two minutes later, Beardsley scored what would ultimately be the winner.
That result saw Newcastle sitting at the top of the table after 15 games with 38 points. They were five clear of Manchester United at the time.
By the end of the season, Newcastle would end up finishing second, four points behind the Red Devils. But, it was fun while it lasted.
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Why are Newcastle United so far off the pace this season?
Right now, Newcastle are 14th in the Premier League table and have just 15 points after 12 games. Even if they get maximum points from the next three games, they’ll still be 14 shy of that 1995/96 team’s early season achievement.
So, where has it all gone wrong for Eddie Howe and his team this year? Admittedly, the win over Man City was great, and proved Howe can get his tactics absolutely spot on. But it simply hasn’t happened consistently this season.
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Having European football is arguably a distraction that has cost Newcastle this term, as it did in 2023/24, as well. Balancing two massive commitments is always difficult, and the squad depth at Newcastle is clearly not quite equipped to handle that.
The Newcastle injury list has been a long one all season, and it’s been particularly frustrating for fans to see Yoane Wissa on the sidelines. He could well be the difference when he returns, especially if he can link up with Nick Woltemade and revitalise a fairly stagnant Newcastle attack.
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