Newcastle United threw away two points once again on Monday evening, in a disappointing 1-1 draw with Wolves.
Having led 1-0 for most of the second half, a Martin Dubravka error in the 95th minute saw Willy Boly equalise for Wanderers.
There was controversy over whether it should have been allowed, with added time creeping over and a foul on Miguel Almiron not given shortly before the goal.
But whether the goal should have stood or not, the fact remains that Newcastle let crucial points slip away again in the dying minutes.
It’s the second consecutive game they’ve conceded late on and it’s becoming clear that Rafa Benitez and his team have problems seeing out results.
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Of the 42 goals Newcastle have conceded across all competitions this season, 12 have come after the 80th minute mark.
That means 28% of their total goals conceded have come in the final ten minutes of a match.
That’s almost a 1/3.
And when you concede that regularly late on – it’s going to cost you.
The cost of Newcastle’s last minute mentality problem
Newcastle falling to pieces at the final hurdle is something supporters have had to deal with all season.
Their concentration issues first came to light in a frustrating four day period at the end of August in which they faced Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.
Having parked the bus against Chelsea at home, Benitez looked like he would be vindicated with the score tied at 1-1 after 85 minutes.
But a deflected strike from Marcos Alonso in the 87th minute saw their efforts go in vain.
It may have been unlucky, but Newcastle were at it again just three days later in the League Cup.
Up against Nottingham Forest, Newcastle were down 1-0 before a 90th minute equaliser from Salmon Rondon appeared to have forced a replay.
But remarkably, the Toon conceded two goals in the 94th and 97th to see them knocked out.
Because Benitez plays for small margins, late goals almost always change the result of the game.
Of the 12 goals they’ve conceded after 80 minutes, eight of them have effected the final result.
Late goals have seen them lose to Chelsea, Man United, Wolves and Spurs in the league, from positions where they would have drawn.
Late opposition equalisers have also seen them draw against Watford and Wolves, having been in winning positions for long periods.
In total, this lack of concentration has seen them lose eight points.
Had Newcastle seen these games out, they’d be 9th in the table with 33 points.
Another worrying stat
Another time you might see team’s with concentration issues conceding is within minutes of a game starting.
Even if the opposition’s tactics catch them off guard, no team ever wants to concede early.
However this is worryingly becoming more common for Newcastle.
So far this season the Toon have conceded seven goals within the first ten minutes of a match.
When added to their late goals conceded, it becomes a horrifying statistic.
20 of Newcastle’s goals conceded this season have come in the first ten or the last ten minutes of matches (plus added time).
That’s almost half their goals at 48%.
This stat seems to suggest that there is a lot of nerves in the Newcastle team and that they are feeling the pressure of their league position.
Their fear of conceding late is clear to see during matches, as they always put themselves on the back foot.
They are always just holding on to whatever result they have at 80 minutes.
If this problem isn’t addressed now, there’s no reason why they won’t continue to just lose points, and possibly their place in the Premier League.