DREAM TEAM managers should always take the schedule into account before committing to a strategy.
As a prime example, a quick look at Newcastle’s upcoming fixtures reveals a brutal succession of away games that some gaffers feel should be avoided like the plague.
Gameweek 21 starts with a league game against Aston Villa at St James’ Park.
The Villains should be considered tricky opponents at this moment in time as only Arsenal have more points to their name in the Premier League table but Eddie Howe’s side boast a strong record in the top flight this term having won seven, drawn two and lost two in front of their own fans.
But their second fixture of Gameweek 21, a trip to PSG in the Champions League, kicks off a daunting run of away days.
The Magpies are also scheduled to visit Liverpool, Manchester City (x2), Tottenham and Villa in the coming weeks.
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NEWCASTLE’S TOUGH FIXTURES
- GW21: Aston Villa (h) & PSG (a)
- GW22: Liverpool (a) & Man City (a)
- GW23: Brentford (h) & Spurs (a)
- GW24: Aston Villa (a)
- GW25: Man City (a)
For a group of players who are significantly stronger on home soil, these road trips represent a serious test.
Newcastle have won just two of their 11 away games in the league so far with every single one of their domestic cup fixtures having taken place at St James’ Park — a trend that will soon end.
In their most recent away game, they drew 0-0 with relegation-bound Wolves and failed to register a shot on target until the 85th minute.
Furthermore, they have won just once on the road in the Champions League this term, a 4-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise at the start of October.
Gameweek 23 doesn’t appear overly intimidating in isolation as Thomas Frank’s mob have generally been dismal in front of their supporters.
In fact, only West Ham and Wolves have earned fewer points at home this season.
However, the other four Gameweeks detailed above will massively repel Dream Team bosses who prefer a fixture-first approach to the game.
Turning away from Newcastle assets will feel counterintuitive to some gaffers.
At the time of writing, Bruno Guimaraes (£5.6m) is third in the overall rankings having racked up 198 points, just one point behind Phil Foden (£5.2m) in second.
The all-action midfielder has scored eight goals and provided seven assists in all competitions.
He also ranks in the top ten in his position for both tackles and bonus points.
Elsewhere, wingers Anthony Gordon (£4.7m) and Harvey Barnes (£4.5m) have combined for 19 goals and ten assists while Nick Woltemade (£4m) ranks joint-fourth among strikers for goals scored with nine.
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More recently, Lewis Hall (£4.1m) has come to the fore because of his extraordinary ability to collect bonus points.
The young left-back has earned 24 bonus points across his last eight appearances — only three other defenders have claimed more since the start of the campaign.
A strong performance against PSV this evening may convince gaffers that Newcastle players are capable of healthy returns in the coming weeks despite some unfavourable opposition.
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