Newcastle United secured a 2-1 victory over Fulham with a late goal from Bruno Guimaraes, climbing to 12th in the Premier League despite struggling after their Champions League win against Benfica. Alan Shearer has expressed worries about the toll of balancing European and domestic commitments on the team. While Newcastle have earned six points from nine in the Champions League, Shearer highlights the draining nature of such fixtures.
Newcastle United's recent form has shown resilience amid a packed schedule. Following their Champions League success against Benfica, the Magpies faced Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday. The match was challenging, with Newcastle not at their best, but they clinched a 2-1 win thanks to a 90th-minute strike from Bruno Guimaraes. This result moved them up to 12th in the table.
In the Champions League, Newcastle have collected six points from a possible nine, positioning them well to advance. However, managing both competitions remains tough. Speaking on the Rest Is Football podcast, Alan Shearer responded to Gary Lineker's question about whether European football is proving difficult for Newcastle: "Yeah, I think it is."
Shearer elaborated, "I think even if you’ve got the biggest of squads, to play European football with the emotion, how draining it is and everything else. Yeah, it does [have an impact]. There’s no doubt about it. The game after a European week, you’ve just got to get the result no matter how you get it. You’ve just got to get it. So Newcastle did that. So it was a big three points and hopefully they can get their league season going now."
This season, after three Champions League games, Newcastle's Premier League results include two wins and a 0-0 draw against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. While performances haven't been fluid, the points tally is key.
Looking back, Newcastle's 2023/24 Champions League campaign was hampered by injuries, limiting rotation options. Yet, in the six Premier League games following Champions League fixtures that season, they earned 11 points from 18, with their only loss to Bournemouth and draws against West Ham and Wolves. With five more Champions League matches scheduled until the end of January, Newcastle aim to sustain their progress.