Newcastle have gone from relegation candidates to a side with genuine title aspirations in less than two years. How far can Eddie Howe really take them? Read our expert analysis on Newcastle’s season here on Betking, Nigeria’s foremost online sports betting platform. BetKing is your g0-to sports betting site, with the best odds, rewarding betting offers and professional betting tips to help you make informed selections. **Newcastle: Saudi Investment** It is no secret to football lovers that Newcastle went from the tight purse-strings of former owner Mike Ashley to the lavish lifestyle of Middle Eastern wealth. The part that nobody saw coming was the rapid rise to prominence that would follow. The takeover was completed in October 2021 by a consortium of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and with the team heading towards relegation, Steve Bruce was relieved of his duties and replaced with Eddie Howe. Howe guided the club to an 11th-place finish after a run of 12 wins in their final 18 games, and Newcastle became the first team in Premier League history to avoid relegation after failing to win any of their first 14 games. **Qualification for Champions League** The team performed even better in Howe’s first full season in charge, backed by Saudi millions, the ex-Bournemouth boss became the first manager to guide the Magpies to Champions League football since Bobby Robson in 2003. The arrivals of quality players like Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman, Bruno Guimares and Alexander Isak made that possible and the owners were committed to investing more. There is no doubt that Newcastle are far ahead of schedule as far as what they have been able to achieve so far. It is hard to find many supporters who would have envisaged them qualifying for the Champions League at the start of the campaign, but they did it in style — finishing 4th and staying in the top 4 for pretty much the entire campaign. They could have won a trophy too, losing out to Manchester United in the League Cup final. Newcastle’s resounding success is a consequence of excellent planning and wise investment, but also the stability and consistency of the Eddie Howe’s starting lineup. This has been particularly key in the defensive areas and the likes of Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn been fixtures in the team since Howe took over. The new season has brought even more excitement to Tyneside. Their first Champions League campaign in 20 years and a genuine top-level squad, aiming to be title contenders. What’s not to like? **How far can the Eddie Howe’s Toon Army really go?** Newcastle started their season by ripping Aston Villa to shreds, 5-1 at St James’ Park on the opening weekend. Three successive defeats followed, against Liverpool, Brighton and Manchester City raising questions about how they would cope with the rigours of high-level Champions League football. After their first game in the competition ended 0-0 at the San Siro against AC Milan, a game Newcastle could and should have lost by at least 2 goals, the questions became more pertinent. Can they really survive at this level? Well, Eddie Howe’s men put those questions to bed with an emphatic, giant-killing 4-1 win over PSG at home. Yes, the same PSG side with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and more. With that result, it was clear the Magpies had positioned themselves as a force to be reckoned with, especially at home (where they have lost just thrice in the league this year). That win against Newcastle was significant for a number of reasons. It was the club’s biggest-ever Champions League win, surpassing the 3-1 success over Bayer Leverkusen back in February 2003. Howe’s men also condemned PSG to their heaviest Champions League group-stage defeat since a 3-0 loss to Chelsea back in September 2004. It was such an earth-shattering performance, “a dream” according to Newcastle-born defender Dan Burn. Speaking to TNT Sports, the Magpies defender, who was also on the scoresheet in the win, said: "It’s Crazy. It hasn't really sunk in, I'm a bit speechless. We said we wanted to entertain the crowd and I knew when we'd be at home it would be electric. It was amazing to score. "It's like a dream, it's like I'm waiting for someone to waken me up. Ever since I came here, it's seemed to go on an upward trajectory and I keep waiting for the bubble to pop – but we deserve this." The Magpies are currently 1st for expected goals (xG - 22.1), 1st for goals per game (2.6), 1st for chances created(27). [FotMob](https://www.fotmob.com/teams/10261/stats/newcastle-united/teams) The team is bursting with confidence – Alexander Isak, the striker brought in last summer from Real Sociedad for 60m has grown into one of the league’s most feared strikers (7 goals in 12 games this season) and Bruno Guimares is coveted by all of Europe’s best clubs. Through 10 league games, Howe’s men are 6th,but are unbeaten in their last 6 league games. **Premier League table below**
Based on their current trajectory, Newcastle will likely push for a top four spot this season, but unlike last year, there is no guarantee they can hold off the likes of Liverpool and Aston Villa. They are creating chances at will and scoring for fun but their goals column is certainly bloated by their record 8-0 win over a disastrous Sheffield United team in September. Will the owners be content with just another top-four finish after spending €440 million on transfers ? Maybe in the short term, but with such funds and purchasing power, they are likely to have designs on a league title in the next few years. It begs the question: Can Eddie Howe deliver a league title? The answer is, probably not. In which case, could Pep Guardiola be tempted to swap Manchester for Tyneside? The catalan is expected to leave Man City when his contract expires in 2025 and Newcastle’s owners have the finance and project to mount a charm offensive for one of the game’s brightest minds. However, Guardiola himself has ruled out the possibility of managing another club in England. In 2021, the Man City boss said [(via Marca)](https://www.marca.com/en/football/premier-league/2021/11/28/61a36b80e2704ee67d8b45b2.html) "In England, being here I think always I will be Man City and if I have to come back it would be at Man City, if they want me," He added. "I would not train another club in England apart from this club." So, if theres no Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel then or perhaps Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. Still there is the very real possibility that a top 4 finish will remain the ceiling for Howe with this side. PSG are a great example of how money doesn’t solve everything and top level management is required no matter how much money is available. For Newcastle to really play ball with Europe’s elite on a consistent basis, there may be even more changes required, but for now, Tyneside can continue to dream, every weekend and now, on Champions League nights too. For high odds, bet on Newcastle to finish in the Premier League top 4 at the end of the season.
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