Comparing Newcastle, Man Utd & Spurs’ run-ins & results in reverse fixtures

Newcastle, Manchester United and Tottenham are all fighting for a Champions League spot as the Premier League run-in is expected to be a thriller this season.

As Arsenal and Manchester City pretty much already have a place in the top four secured, there are two more spots which are up for grabs.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle sit third in the table with 56 points and a superior goal difference to their fellow top four rivals. They are also the form team in the league, having won their last five matches.

Erik ten Hag already has one trophy in the bag at United this season, but a top four finish will be vital to their rebuild. The absence of Casemiro has hurt them of late, but back-to-back wins have boosted their top four chances.

At Spurs this season there has rarely been a dull moment. Antonio Conte’s exit was nothing short of explosive, but they still have a real shot of finishing in the top four.

We’ve gone through the three sides’ remaining fixtures and noted their results in the reverse encounters to see if we can provide a greater insight on which team will finish highest in May.

Newcastle

Aston Villa (A) – Won 4-0
Tottenham (H) – Won 2-1
Everton (A) – Won 1-0
Southampton (H) – Won 4-1
Arsenal (H) – Draw 0-0
Leeds (A) – Draw 0-0
Leicester (H) – Won 3-0
Chelsea (A) – Won 1-0
Brighton (H) – Draw 0-0

Newcastle have vastly outperformed their expectations from the start of the season and they now stand a real chance of a Champions League finish this year.

Howe’s side have been built upon their defensive solidity as they have only conceded 21 goals throughout the entire campaign. The summer signings of Nick Pope and Sven Botman have especially boosted them in this department.

They have also only lost three matches this season, which is less than Manchester City. Newcastle still have tough tests to come against the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham, but they are currently in a great position.

The Magpies are unbeaten in the reverse fixtures against every remaining opponent. Should they repeat the same results, they’re on track to pick up 21 points from their remaining nine matches. That would see them finish on a final tally of 77 points.

Nick Pope is even making saves outside the box! 😅🧤 pic.twitter.com/8FQDxi8xpk

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) April 10, 2023

Manchester United

Nottingham Forest (A) – Won 3-0
Chelsea (H) – Draw 1-1
Tottenham (A) – Won 2-0
Aston Villa (H) – Lost 3-1
Brighton (A) – Lost 2-1
West Ham (A) – Won 1-0
Wolves (H) – Won 1-0
Bournemouth (A) – Won 3-0
Fulham (H) – Won 2-1

Ten Hag has lifted the club since his arrival, but they still have plenty of work to do this season. Along with their league campaign, United also have the FA Cup and Europa League to contend with.

Their squad depth will be pushed to the limit over the next couple of months as they battle in several competitions. Perhaps their most important remaining fixture will be against Tottenham, who are currently three points behind them.

United have averaged 1.93 points per game this season, which if averaged over an entire campaign would represent 73 points. They will also be boosted by the returning Casemiro for the run-in.

The Red Devils will be looking to avoid repeat defeats against Aston Villa and Brighton, but they otherwise fared very well against the opposition left to face. Repeat the results and they’re on track to take 19 points from their final nine matches – enough for a final tally of 75.

Tottenham

Bournemouth (H) – Won 3-2
Newcastle (A) – Lost 2-1
Manchester United (H) – Lost 2-0
Liverpool (A) – Lost 2-1
Crystal Palace (H) – Won 4-0
Aston Villa (A) – Lost 2-0
Brentford (H) – Draw 2-2
Leeds (A) – Won 4-3

It’s fair to say that Tottenham have the toughest run-in with games against Newcastle, United and Liverpool still to come. Despite the off-the-pitch drama, they have strung together a decent run of late.

In the league, they have only lost one of their last seven matches. Harry Kane continues to deliver for them and Son Heung-Min has also come into form of late.

Spurs have already lost to four of their last eight remaining opponents – Newcastle, Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa – and they have some particularly tough away trips remaining. They’ve struggled on the road, particularly in recent weeks.

They will need to show great improvement in the run-in, given repeat results – 10 points from the last eight matches –  would see them fall well short on just 63 points.

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