Newcastle United marked their return to competitive action with a seventh straight win in all competitions with a narrow Carabao Cup victory over Bournemouth. An own-goal from Adam Smith was enough to book the Magpies a place in the last eight.
Eddie Howe's side will now focus on the resumption of the Premier League, with an away clash to come on Boxing Day against Leicester City. The Magpies head coach named a strong eleven for the Carabao Cup tie including the five players to return from the World Cup, but will likely have to rotate his squad over the coming weeks.
Newcastle could move into second place with a victory at the King Power Stadium, although champions Manchester City will hold two games in hand to overturn a one-point deficit. Howe's side will then host Leeds United on New Year's Eve, before beginning 2023 with a top of the table clash at Arsenal.
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Three matches in quick succession on the back of a lengthy break could prove significant in Newcastle's season. But how does the Magpies' schedule compare to their top-flight rivals?
Data from Sporting Life has been used to calculate the forecasted final league position of each Premier League side's next three opponents. This figure has then been used to rank the perceived difficult of each club's festive schedule.
Newcastle are tipped to finish fifth, and sit 11th in this table with an average score of 10.3. Leicester and Leeds are predicted to finish 14th and 15th respectively, while league leaders Arsenal are backed to finish runners-up to the defending champions.
The forecasted finishes suggest Newcastle have a tougher festive schedule than several of their so-called 'Big Six' rivals, with Manchester United sat top of the table. Chelsea and Liverpool are also sat near the summit, with Tottenham sat one place above the Magpies with a similar schedule based on these overall predictions.
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