In the past two games, Newcastle United have secured back-to-back draws and the good news is that Rafael Benitez’ side are continuing with their fine form during life back in the Premier League, with the Tyneside giants on-course to hit the 40-point mark and avoid relegation.
Unlike the draw with Liverpool two weeks ago, which will have felt like a massive victory, Newcastle may be left with a feeling of regret after Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Southampton as the Magpies twice saw a lead cancelled out by Manolo Gabbiadini.
Two second-half defensive lapses allowed the Italian to peg Newcastle back, with the final goal of the match coming from the penalty spot 15 minutes before the end of the match- and the Magpies may understandably feel like it’s two points dropped.
Had Newcastle held onto their lead, they would be sitting pretty in-touch with the Premier League’s top-six but the draw means there’s still a lot of work to do- and this weekend’s hosting of Crystal Palace now has raised significance, after the Eagles remarkably ended their winless run with a victory against Chelsea on Saturday.
Newcastle have been solid at home this season, having not tasted defeat since a loss to Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur on the Premier League’s opening weekend, but they’ll need to erase the defensive mishaps from their game if they’re to continue battling towards a top-half finish.
Rafael Benitez’ side now face a run of three crucial matches against Crystal Palace, Burnley and Bournemouth, before travelling to face Manchester United, and negative results in those games are not inconceivable- and it would drastically change the picture for the Magpies.
A major concern for Benitez will be the fact that Newcastle have kept just two clean-sheets this season, which came in the victories over Swansea and West Ham, and they’re still yet to find a consistent goalscorer in attack.
Isaac Hayden and Ayoze Perez were both on the scoresheet this weekend, making it another game where Newcastle’s strikers have failed to find the back of the net- with Joselu unable to build upon the equalising goal he struck against Liverpool prior to the international break.
