Massive opportunity now knocks for Newcastle United | OneFootball

Newcastle United now have the platform.

An astonishing run of eight wins in a row.

Progress to the FA Cup fourth round and of course, now only 90 minutes from a possible return to Wembley and starting that Arsenal game three weeks today with a 2-0 lead.

I wanted though to focus here on the Premier League.

Newcastle United making it five victories in a row, 15 points from a possible 15, the only Premier League team now in that position.

The very most recent three of those PL wins coming at home to Villa and away at both Man U and Tottenham.

When we were all looking at that difficult run of fixtures against ‘big’ clubs, what would we all have taken if talking about a guaranteed number of points? If you add in Ipswich away which came just before that trio of other PL matches, I reckon we would all have loved it if getting eight or nine points and getting competitive. So to get 12 points out of 12, 15 out of 15 if including the Leicester home win, well that is competitive with a capital C.

Which brings me to last night.

Four Premier League fixtures on Tuesday night:

Tuesday 14 January

Brentford 2 Man City 2

Chelsea 2 Bournemouth 2

West Ham 3 Fulham 2

Forest 1 Liverpool 1

This is how the table looks on Wednesday morning (15 January 2025):

With eight minutes to go, Man City were leading 2-0, yet Brentford came back to draw 2-2 and the equaliser in the second minute of added time. That result meant Man City stayed below Newcastle United.

Chelsea leading and then Bournemouth fighting back to be 2-1 up at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea lucky to get a draw with  Reece James goal five minutes into added time. With a win Bournemouth would have gone above Newcastle United, with a win Chelsea would have gone four points clear of NUFC.

Forest led from a Wood goal in the eighth minute and would have gone eight points clear of NUFC with a win. Liverpool equalised on 66 minutes and Forest left clinging on, the Scousers would have gone 14 points ahead of Newcastle with a win. It ended 1-1.

Whilst even the other match last night went our way, two shocking Fulham defensive blunders gifted West Ham a 3-2 win and prevented the Cottagers moving to within two points of Newcastle United.

As I say, the platform is now there, the stage is set tonight for Newcastle United to press home the advantage.

Eddie Howe and his players have earned this platform, a victory against Wolves would take Newcastle United above Chelsea, only three points behind Forest, whilst maybe only two points behind Arsenal (anything could happen in their North London derby with both teams in such poor form).

No Premier League games are easy BUT we would all have been astounded a month ago if told this is the position Newcastle United would now find themselves in, with Wolves (home), Bournemouth (home), Southampton (away) and Fulham (home) the next four Premier League matches for NUFC.

I don’t know about you, but this feels like a massive moment in our season, a bit strange to outsiders when it is a Wolves team fourth bottom at St James’ Park considering the recent form of Newcastle United.

However, a victory tonight would be Newcastle United marching proudly back into the Premier League top four and if doing so no reason at all why we can’t potentially stay there.

The remaining Premier League fixtures in this midweek round of matches:

Wednesday 15 January

Everton v Villa (7.30pm)

Leicester v Palace (7.30pm)