Football Season Guide

A top-four finish in 2022/23 was followed by a seventh-place finish last season, where the congested schedule and numerous injuries paid their toll on the team. Newcastle broke their Premier League goalscoring record, netting a remarkable 85 times thanks to superb performances from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon in particular. The Magpies were forced to comply with the financial rules this summer. They have remained relatively quiet in the transfer window, having signed talented left-back Lewis Hall and Greece international keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, as well as solid defender Lloyd Kelly, who joined on a free transfer. Meanwhile, all starters have stayed put, giving Eddie Howe the advantage of being able to work with the same squad for a second straight preseason. Newcastle are not expected to spend big in these last weeks of August should they not offload a first-choice player. The squad is rich in almost every position with plenty of players being able to cover multiple roles. This fact, along with the lack of continental football and Howe’s proven ability to create fast playing attacking teams, make Newcastle one of the teams to watch this year. Even Howe would argue that injuries have been Newcastle’s Achilles heel in the last two seasons. In fact, centre-backs Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles won’t be available until 2025, meaning that the Magpies could struggle at the back in the first half of the season.