Newcastle United will be third in the Premier League at Christmas after victory over Chelsea in their last outing. Joe Willock's goal extended the Magpies sensational start to the season, and secured a seventh win in eight matches.
Eddie Howe's side are now being talked about as a top-four contender, with Chelsea and Liverpool among the so-called 'Big Six' clubs to make a sluggish start to the campaign. Newcastle have registered victories over the Blues and Tottenham, while earning draws against Manchester City and Manchester United.
Liverpool are the only side to have beaten the Magpies this term, courtesy of a controversial stoppage-time winner from Fabio Carvalho. Howe's side also have a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Bournemouth to come, with a trip to Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup third round to follow in the new year.
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The World Cup break arguably came at the worst time for Newcastle, with the Magpies momentum put on hold ahead of a Boxing Day clash at Leicester City. Howe has six players away on international duty, but is confident his team will handle the unprecedented break in the Premier League calendar.
Pep Guardiola has already cited the Magpies' absence from European competition this season as a potential advantage in the battle for the top four, and even the title race. Newcastle could be set to bank another boost over their 'Big Six' rivals as the World Cup group stages draw to a close.
Out of the six United players currently in action in Qatar, only Kieran Trippier has made a start. The England full-back played the full match against both Iran and the USA, while coming on as a substitute in the win over Wales.
Excluding added time, Trippier has been on the pitch for 205 minutes so far and accounts for the lion's share of the Magpies minutes in the World Cup. Nick Pope and Fabian Schar are yet to make an appearance for England and Switzerland respectively.
Callum Wilson has played for 46 minutes across two substitute appearances, providing one assist for Jack Grealish in the thumping 6-2 win over Iran. Despite growing calls for a start, Bruno Guimaraes did not feature in Brazil's opening win over Serbia, and came on as a 58th-minute substitute in the narrow victory over Switzerland.
Australian wonderkid Garang Kuol, who will join Newcastle in January from A-League outfit Central Coast Mariners, only has a 17-minute cameo against world champions France so far. It means with only eight group games left to play, Newcastle stars have so far racked up only 300 minutes of action.
This in stark contrast to their 'Big Six' rivals, with Manchester City unsurprisingly leading the way with 2,327 minutes across the squad. Manchester United follow with 1,790 minutes accumulated so far, according to data accumulated by 101 Great Goals.
Players from Tottenham and Chelsea have featured for 1,624 and 1,489 minutes respectively, with Liverpool represented for 771 minutes. League leaders Arsenal sit bottom of the list for the 'Big Six', with their players so far only on the pitch for 612 minutes.
These figures put into context what could prove to be an advantage for Newcastle in the remainder of the season. The Magpies' players have hardly featured in comparison to their rivals at the top of the table, and more than two-thirds of their cumulative minutes today has been achieved by Trippier.
Howe has been quick to downplay talk of a top-four challenge, and there are plenty of twists and turns to come into the campaign. However, with a congested schedule, the reduced minutes at the World Cup could work to the Magpies advantage in their unlikely push for European football.
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