In late August, Newcastle United’s manager Eddie Howe found humor in the idea of a coming “pivotal” week for his team. At the time, the calendar read August 24, and though it was early in the season, Howe grasped the question’s significance. After a tense match leading to a penalty shoot-out win at the City Ground to secure a spot in round three of the Carabao Cup, Howe addressed the press.
Eddie Howe said: “Yeah it’s a pivotal week already! But every week is pivotal. We will look at that after this game. We have had only one game and the early games set the tempo and energy, momentum.”
Fast forward a couple of months, and Newcastle once again faces a critical phase in their season. On Saturday, they will go head-to-head with a strong Brighton team, which ranks above Newcastle on goal difference in the league standings. This fixture serves as a warm-up for a challenging two-legged encounter with Chelsea. Given last season’s disappointing 3-2 defeat at Chelsea, compounded by a Carabao Cup exit on penalties, these matches are significant. Under the leadership of Enzo Maresca, Chelsea has rapidly climbed to fourth place in the league, making Newcastle’s upcoming contests crucial for shaping their autumn campaign.
The pressure is on for Newcastle to maintain their Champions League aspirations, especially as last season saw such hopes dashed by December. With three important matches in 11 days, Newcastle can steer their campaign positively by securing wins against Brighton and Chelsea, and a Carabao Cup quarter-final berth. Eddie Howe’s side must navigate this stretch successfully to silence any doubts about the start of the 2024/25 season, despite a previous setback at Fulham.
