Doing things the difficult way has actually been working in favor of Newcastle United this season, which may sound like a criticism, but is in fact a compliment.
The major disappointments in the 2024-25 campaign have come in the ‘easier’ games, where Newcastle was expected to win. However, this season has been marked by the remarkable achievements accumulated by Eddie Howe’s side, especially at venues where they have long struggled with dreadful records.
This should provide some encouragement as Newcastle face a defining and daunting run of fixtures. They are not only up against the teams currently sitting above them in the Premier League table (Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, and league-leading Liverpool), but they must also overcome their own established deficiencies to reach their goals of a Champions League return and, most importantly, ending their 56-year trophy drought.
The Etihad Stadium
The ground where Newcastle teams have traditionally arrived, meekly surrendered, been hammered, and departed again. In the Premier League, Newcastle have never won at the Etihad, their most recent top-flight away victory against Manchester City coming at Maine Road in September 2000. They have lost on their last 15 visits to the Etihad, failing to score in each of the past five. The cumulative Premier League score across 19 matches there? 54-8 to Manchester City.
Even at St. James’ Park, Newcastle rarely triumph over Manchester City. In the Premier League, the defending champions have lost just one of their last 34 encounters with Newcastle, a 2-1 defeat in January 2019.
Anfield
Newcastle’s miserable and fruitless journeys to Anfield stretch back into the previous century. They have failed to win any of their past 28 Premier League visits to Liverpool, only winning in the top-flight on their first visit in April 1994. In January 2024, when Liverpool won 4-2, Newcastle conceded the Premier League’s highest-ever recorded expected-goals against (xGA) of 7.27.
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Again, Howe has struggled to get the better of Liverpool, losing six and drawing just one of his seven Newcastle encounters. The results alone do not offer the full picture of how close many matches have been, but victories have proven elusive.
Wembley Stadium
Perhaps the most discouraging of all the statistics relate to Newcastle’s recent — and not-so-recent — results at the venue for next month’s Carabao Cup final. At one point in their history, Newcastle went unbeaten for half-a-century at Wembley, winning their first five FA Cup finals there. But it is now 70 years since they triumphed at Wembley, old or new.
Dejected Newcastle fans during the 2023 League Cup final (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Newcastle have also failed to score in any of their last four visits to Wembley, while their only goal across seven matches at the stadium since 1976 came via Rob Lee during the 2-1 semi-final defeat by Chelsea in 2000.
If all of that is rather deflating, there are reasons to be heartened that, this season, things have been — and can be — different. Those statistics are historical, and while many have persisted into the Howe era, there is increasing evidence that this Newcastle side are distinct, that they are no longer cowed by the club’s deep-rooted demons.
Already this season, Newcastle have triumphed at Old Trafford, Tottenham, and the Emirates Stadium, achieving a club-record-equalling nine-match winning run in the process. Their record against the so-called “Big Six” this season has been excellent, with seven wins, two draws, and just one loss.
Isak in training this week (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
There has been a definite shift in mentality; Newcastle are no longer intimidated by these quality teams or their own history. Rather, they often embrace those negative records and use them as inspiration.
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Will Liverpool’s strange fixture schedule in February and March be helpful – or disruptive?
Achieving victories at any of the Etihad, Anfield, and Wembley remains a monumental task. However, despite Newcastle’s woeful records at each, supporters can definitely be heartened by this team’s enviable ability to confound their own club’s history. Across 2024-25, Newcastle have thrived on the big occasions, and they must ensure that form persists – and that they carry it into the biggest occasion of all on March 16.
(Top photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
