The damning stat Newcastle have gone from Prem’s best to worst for exposed | OneFootball

It’s been a far less enjoyable season for Newcastle than last time out, with their downfall exposed by one particularly damning statistic.

Newcastle fell to a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday – their second consecutive defeat of the same score after a derby loss to Sunderland last week. That was despite Eddie Howe’s side taking the lead in both games – and that’s where their undoing is becoming apparent.

Newcastle have now dropped 25 points from winning positions this season, which is the worst record in the Premier League.

Last season, they only dropped seven points from winning positions, which was the best record in the Premier League.

Their collapse against Palace was particularly infuriating. Newcastle had been in the lead from the 43rd minute, when William Osula bundled the ball in.

But Jean-Philippe Mateta scored an equaliser with 10 minutes of regulation time to go and then won it with a penalty four minutes into stoppage time, condemning Newcastle to a 14th defeat of the season and seeing them drop behind Palace in the table thanks to goal difference.

The team that dropped the most points from winning positions last season were Tottenham with 29. If, for example, Newcastle lose two more games they take the lead in between now and the end of the season, they would surpass that tally.

That sequence of events would also see Newcastle equal their highest number of points dropped from winning positions in a Premier League season, which is currently the 31 they let slip in the 2004-05 season, when they finished 14th.

The 25 points they have dropped from winning positions this season represents their worst return since.

Points lost from winning positions, via Football365

Newcastle’s points lost from winning positions this season

Their first offence was on matchday six, when Nick Woltemade gave them the lead against Arsenal but they lost 2-1 after conceding in the 84th and 96th minutes.

In November, they lost 3-1 to West Ham and Brentford after opening the scoring in both games.

They were twice in front against Tottenham in December, but drew 2-2. Later the same month, they were two goals to the good against Chelsea, but once again drew 2-2.

At the end of January, their heaviest defeat of the season – 4-1 against Liverpool – came in a game they took the lead in. The following week, they opened the scoring against Brentford but lost for the second time this season.

And now there have been the Sunderland and Palace setbacks to sink the mood at St. James’ Park.

Newcastle would be in the bottom three if only goals in the last 15 minutes of games were counted, further proof of their proneness to a late collapse. They are 12 points above the actual relegation zone and thus should be safe, but it has been the kind of season to undo their progress of recent years.

And if they are to get heading back in the right direction, they need to find a fix for how they manage leads.