Just like last season, Newcastle United’s second clash with Huddersfield Town can have a major impact on the rest of the campaign.
In the Championship last year, the Magpies and the Terriers first met at St James’ Park in the second game of the season, and David Wagner’s side shocked Newcastle by leaving the North East with all three points after a 2-1 triumph.
That game made it back-to-back defeats for Rafa Benitez’s side, and Huddersfield would remain a thorn in Newcastle’s side for the rest of the season, competing alongside them for promotion to the Premier League.
The two teams would meet once again in March. By then Newcastle had sorted themselves out and positioned themselves at the top of the table, while Huddersfield were still chasing and dreaming of promotion to the big time.
This time, Newcastle would not be caught cold and did a real job on Wagner’s side, winning 3-1 to end what had been a fantastic week for Benitez, having won away to Brighton just four days earlier.
When the pressure was on, Newcastle were able to get the job done and get three points, and will be hoping for the same this weekend.
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Just like in the Championship, Newcastle’s second game of this season was against Huddersfield, and just like in the Championship, Wagner’s side took the points. The game was settled by one stunning Aaron Mooy goal, with Newcastle immediately struggling to find their feet back in the top flight, while Huddersfield’s fearless style allowed them to settle into Premier League life very quickly.
As we enter the business stage of the season, Newcastle are now above Huddersfield, and have found a way of playing in the Premier League, while the Yorkshire club have seen their early bubble burst and sit one point below the Magpies.
As previously mentioned, when the pressure was on last season, Newcastle were able to get the result they needed against Huddersfield. They meet once again this weekend at a similar stage of the season, and Benitez will be praying for a case of déjà vu.