Newcastle: MOTD share horrific league-leading stat, it must be enough to get Eddie Howe sacked

Newcastle United succumbed to another defeat on Sunday as they were beaten 2-1 away at Crystal Palace.

William Osula’s first-half strike had the Magpies leading until the final 10 minutes of the game, before a late Jean-Philippe Mateta brace ultimately saw them leave Selhurst Park with nothing to show for their efforts.

The second of the Frenchman’s efforts came in the form of a 94th-minute penalty, after Sven Botman was penalised for a silly shirt pull inside the box.

Eddie Howe has been firmly under pressure from the supporters in recent weeks, and he has had the heat turned up on him even more after his team fell to the a third successive defeat in all competitions.

Newcastle have been reluctant to sack Howe so far this season, but the Match of the Day team revealed that they have hit a new low on Sunday night.

Newcastle drop points again to set up ‘unenviable’ stat

Newcastle have faced second-half frustration twice in recent weeks, as they led against both Sunderland and Crystal Palace at the half-time interval, before watching the game slip away from them after the break.

That has been a recurring theme for them throughout their Premier League campaign, and the Match of the Day team revealed that they have now hit a new low in that department.

The Tynesiders have now dropped 25 points from winning positions since the start of the season, a total which is higher than any other team in the division.

Gabby Logan labelled that an “unenviable” stat during the analysis of the defeat to Crystal Palace, but it is a sign of issues with far deeper roots within the squad.

Newcastle would be firmly in the race for a Champions League spot if they had been able to show more fortitude and determination in the final stages of games, and instead they are languishing in the bottom half.

Howe has been facing an increasing level of scrutiny in recent weeks, and after the reveal of this horrific stat, there is surely no way that he can continue to lead the team next term.

The manager’s job is to ensure that the team perform in line with the resources that are available at the very minimum, but this is yet more evidence that Newcastle should have had so much more from their campaign.

Eddie Howe has completely lost the fans

Newcastle fans have demanded that Howe be sacked after their defeat at Selhurst Park, which has become an increasingly regular occurrence of late.

The North East outfit are an extremely powerful force when they have the entire club pulling in the same direction, but when there is division between the fans and the team, it is very hard for any side to achieve success.

That divide has been growing in recent weeks, with supporters increasingly frustrated at the way that their promising season has completely faded out.

Expectations have changed at St James’ Park after the progress on the pitch in recent years, and it is no longer acceptable for the team to merely not be in any relegation trouble.

The fans want to see the team close the gap to the established elite at the top of the Premier League, and they clearly feel that 2025-26 has proved that Howe isn’t the man to take them there.

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