Newcastle United return to St James’ Park with six games of the season remaining.
Thursday’s victory at Goodison Park means that Eddie Howe and his players have won seven of their last eight Premier League matches.
Could they now be about to make a little piece of Newcastle United history on Sunday as well…?
Newcastle have played Southampton three times already this season:
Sunday 6 November 2023 (Premier League)
Southampton 1 Newcastle 4
Tuesday 24 January 2023 (League Cup semi-final first leg)
Southampton 0 Newcastle 1
Tuesday 31 January 2023 (League Cup semi-final second leg)
Newcastle 2 Southampton 1
Newcastle v Southampton ???
I have been checking the record books and I can’t find any previous season in the entire Newcastle United history where NUFC have won four competitive matches in a season against the same team.
I’m happy to be proved wrong if anybody can let me know in the comments section.
I’m not taking anything for granted, even if it is third playing twentieth, BUT if Newcastle United win on Sunday, that will be four victories against Southampton this season.
Newcastle United have played other clubs four times in a season before but not won all four, from what I could find.
The only previous time NUFC got to a League Cup two-legged semi-final it meant that we played Spurs four times in the 1975/76 season. However, that season Newcastle drew 2-2 at home in the league with Tottenham, then lost 1-0 in the first leg of the semi at White Hart Lane, before winning the second leg 3-1 at St James’ Park. Then in the very final match of the season were victorious 3-0 at White Hart Lane in the league.
Other times Newcastle United have played one club four times, include 1988/89 against Watford when the two clubs weren’t even in the same division! Back then you had FA Cup replay after replay until somebody won, Watford eventually winning 1-0 at Vicarage Road after two goalless draws at SJP which sandwiched a 2-2 draw at Vicarage Road. All credit to any Newcastle fans who went to all four games which were in an 11 day stretch from 7 January 1989 to 18 January 1989.
Ralph Hasenhuttl sacked on 7 November 2022, one day after losing 4-1 to Newcastle in the Premier League.
Nathan Jones sacked on 12 February, 12 days after knocked out of the League Cup at St James’ Park.
After winning only one game in ten ahead of Sunday’s match and looking all but doomed to relegation, Ruben Selles may well be wondering if he will be the third Southampton boss to be swiftly sacked after losing to NUFC, if Newcastle United do indeed win for a fourth time against Saints this season.
Maybe somebody will be able to find a season where Newcastle United did previously win four competitive games against the same club BUT assuming Eddie Howe’s team do the business, then certainly it must be the first time Newcastle United have won four games against one club in a season against three different managers.
