Newcastle have put themselves within touching distance of securing their Premier League status for another year, after a four-match winning streak saw the Magpies surpass their pre-season target of 40 points.
Rafael Benitez’s side edged over that market following Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Europa League semi-finalists Arsenal, whilst the Tyneside giants also caught the eye with their narrow victory over Manchester United earlier this year.
Now, having fought back from a precarious position occupied over Christmas, the Magpies have risen from 18th in the standings to the top-half of the table, earning Benitez and his side immense praise- especially as they’ve worked on a shoestring budget.
Newcastle defender DeAndre Yedlin has now revealed the secrets to the club’s remarkable upturn in form, telling The Chronicle that his side remained determined despite an incredible streak of nine matches without a win.
“The fight we were showing on the pitch was what we showed in the season. A lot of teams might have thrown in the towel when they hadn’t won after nine games, but not us. Something could have changed and we could have lost our heads. But we stayed positive and pushed on.”
“It’s something that the manager preached. We have reached our goal of getting past 40 points but we now have to push on. We want to get higher in the table. There are still games left to do that and we are on a great run, so why not? There’s no reason why we can’t push on and get an even higher placing.”
Newcastle face a variety of challenges in their final five matches, tackling Everton, West Brom, Watford, Tottenham and Chelsea.
