Newcastle United Must Keep Up the Pressure After Strong Start to Three-Game Challenge

Newcastle have faced criticism for being inconsistent this season, but that accusation isn’t entirely fair.

In fact, they’ve typically been solid. When facing some of the so-called top clubs at St James’ Park, such as Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Spurs, and Chelsea in the League Cup, Newcastle have delivered strong performances and earned rewards.

However, when playing against less high-profile teams, they’ve often faltered.

Defeats to West Ham and Brighton at home, along with losses to Everton, Crystal Palace, Fulham, and Bournemouth away, have shown a pattern.

This is a form of consistency in itself: strong against the top teams but less effective against the rest.

When Leicester City visited, there was some concern among the Geordie faithful.

But this time, Newcastle were the team they were supposed to be. They won 4-0 in an emphatic performance, silencing any doubts.

It was a much-needed victory, giving Eddie Howe a moment of relief and bringing smiles to Geordie faces.

This is the level of performance that should be expected against weaker opposition.

It was a perfect way to kick off a crucial week for the team.

Next up, they’ll aim to secure a place in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup before traveling to Ipswich, Sir Bobby Robson’s former club, for another strong showing.

If they can achieve that, it will certainly make for a merry Christmas.

It’s been frustrating for Geordies to endure such inconsistencies when the team clearly has the potential to perform better.

While Leicester were poor, so were teams like Crystal Palace and West Ham—both of whom managed to get results against Newcastle.

Newcastle have scored nine goals in their last three games, but the key difference this time was that they came out on top, whereas they didn’t in the previous two matches.

Additionally, they kept a clean sheet this time, something they hadn’t done in their previous games, where they conceded seven goals.

For the players, however, this victory shouldn’t lead to overconfidence, given the inconsistencies they’ve shown recently.

Instead, it should be a moment of reflection on what they’re capable of achieving and what lies ahead.

Jacob Murphy, a temporary fixture in Newcastle’s front three while they await a January signing for the right-wing position, netted twice with well-taken finishes, although he did miss a few opportunities.

Alexander Isak continued his scoring form, and Bruno Guimaraes scored his first of the season with a header. It was a joyous moment for the team and fans alike.

As for Leicester’s manager, Ruud van Nistelrooy, he got a taste of the Premier League’s reality outside of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.

His seventh game in charge of a Premier League side was his first away from home, and it proved to be a far tougher challenge.