Newcastle United’s away form has been dreadful this season, and could cost them a UEFA Champions League place.
Eddie Howe’s side are currently seventh in the table ahead of Thursday’s trip to Everton. A win could see them move up to fifth if Tottenham fail to beat West Ham in the evening’s other Premier League game.
Everton find themselves in the relegation places following their ten-point deduction for breaching profitability and sustainability regulations. However, a win for Sean Dyche’s men would see them climb out of the drop zone.
Newcastle’s Away Form
While the table would suggest Newcastle are heavy favourites, the form guide says otherwise. The Magpies have won just once away from home in the league this season.
That singular victory was the 8-0 demolition of bottom club Sheffield United. The Blades have picked up just one win all season, and are on course to break Derby County’s record for the lowest points in a Premier League campaign. Newcastle have scored just five goals in total across their other five away matches in the league.
They’ve been so poor away from St James’ Park this year that they are 16th in the away league table. From their six matches on the road, they have won once, drawing twice to pick up just five points away from home.
Losing 1-0 at champions Manchester City can perhaps be forgiven. But defeats at Brighton (3-1) and Bournemouth (2-0) are less acceptable for a side chasing Champions League football.
Why Are Newcastle So Bad Away From Home?
One obvious issue has been the number of goals conceded on the road. Newcastle have let in ten goals in just six games away from home in the league this season. At home, they’ve only conceded four times despite playing eight matches at St James’ Park.
Scoring has been less of a problem for Eddie Howe’s men. They have 13 away goals in six games, though eight of these were against Sheffield United.
This is still worse than their home record, though. St James’ Park has always been a hostile venue for visiting teams, but has become an absolute fortress under Eddie Howe.
Since Howe took over in November 2021, they have won 26 league games at home, drawing ten and losing just five times. Their away form has been less impressive, with 14 wins, 11 draws and 13 losses. But it is this campaign that has seen the biggest gulf in performance.
Do Newcastle Rely On Home Atmosphere?
Newcastle are actually joint-top of the home league table in 2023/24, level on 21 points with Liverpool and Aston Villa. A lot has been made of the difference Newcastle’s fantastic home support makes to the team, something PSG quickly realised as they lost 4-1 in the Champions League at St James’ Park.
But if they are to push on and truly cement themselves among the elite teams in English football, Newcastle’s away form must improve. The great teams do not rely on atmosphere to win games, and can grind out results wherever they go.
With the race for European football looking more competitive than ever, they cannot afford to continue current form. An upturn in results on the road should be enough for Newcastle to ensure Champions League football returns to the North East next season.
If not, a place in the UEFA Europa League may be the best that Eddie Howe’s side can hope for.
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