From ending their 20-year Champions League hiatus, gunning for glory in the EFL Cup final and Jason Tindall comically hogging the social media limelight, Newcastle United's season was a memorable one for all the right reasons.
Seeking to continue on the right path from their positive end to the 2021-22 campaign, Eddie Howe's soaring Magpies will imminently be dining at Europe's top table amid a remarkable period of sustained progression, where defensive solidity and attacking proficiency were on show in equal measure.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look back at Newcastle's 2022-23 campaign.
SEASON OVERVIEW
© Reuters
Final league position: 4th
EFL Cup: Runners-up
FA Cup: Third round
Top scorer: Callum Wilson (18)
Most assists: Kieran Trippier (10)
While still moving with caution in the transfer market in the wake of their lucrative 2021 takeover, Newcastle went into the new season with a new record signing in their ranks in the form of Alexander Isak - paying Real Sociedad £63m for his services while also pulling off the shrewd acquisitions of Nick Pope and Sven Botman to bolster an ailing backline.
A new long-term contract for Howe later, and a season of high promise was underway. A 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest would represent the perfect start for the Magpies, but a six-game winless streak soon followed, immediately plunging them into the bottom half of the table.
However, there would be no Halloween horror show for Howe's men, who quickly began their ascent up the table in October with 16 points taken from a possible 18. In all five of those wins, the reborn Miguel Almiron found the back of the net - earning him October's Premier League Player of the Month award as Howe took home the manager's prize.
Two top-tier opponents in Crystal Palace and Bournemouth had also been seen off in the EFL Cup either side of the World Cup break - which Howe's in-form troops entered sitting in the podium places - but the New Year celebrations were relatively muted on Tyneside.
Back-to-back goalless draws with Leeds United and then-leaders Arsenal preceded an FA Cup giant-killing at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday, who edged a third-round contest at Hillsborough 2-1 thanks to Josh Windass's brace, but one route to silverware in the EFL Cup remained open thanks to a quarter-final success over Leicester City.
Despite their surprise loss to the Owls, Howe's dogged defence continued to win out domestically - keeping six clean sheets on the bounce in the top flight - and by remaining professional against Southampton, Newcastle punched their ticket to Wembley for the EFL Cup final.
© Reuters
Barring the £45m capture of Anthony Gordon from Everton, the January transfer window was a relatively uneventful one for the Magpies - who also acquired young talent in the shape of Garang Kuol and Harrison Ashby - but preparations for a long journey south to Wembley were far from optimal.
Following Pope's early red card, Newcastle's 17-game unbeaten Premier League run - the longest of its kind this season - came to an end in a 2-0 home loss to Liverpool, which marked the third of a five-match winless sequence, as their first domestic cup final for 24 years ended in heartbreak to Manchester United.
With Pope suspended and Martin Dubravka ineligible after his early-season loan spell at Old Trafford, Loris Karius came into the lineup at Wembley for his first appearance for an English team since the ill-fated 2018 Champions League final, but there would be no hero arc for the German, and salt was rubbed into the wounds as Howe's side dropped out of the top four in the Premier League.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, though, and Newcastle reverted to type to dominate Man United in a 2-0 St James' Park win in April during a five-game winning streak - reigniting their Champions League charge and propelling them back into the top three.
At this point, Newcastle's defence had lost a touch of resilience, but Isak, Wilson and co were proving too hot to handle. Cristian Stellini's Tottenham Hotspur were hardly setting the world alight, but few expected the Magpies to embarrass their North London counterparts in the manner that they did in April - running out 6-1 winners after scoring five goals inside just 21 minutes - only Manchester City versus Watford in 2019 have accumulated a quintet of strikes quicker in a Premier League game.
Another demolition job of Brighton & Hove Albion put the Magpies on the brink of sealing a return to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, which they confirmed with a goalless draw versus Leicester City in their final home game of the season, but a 1-1 draw versus Chelsea in gameweek 38 forced Howe's men to accept fourth place as Man United nabbed the final podium spot.
PREMIER LEAGUE STATS
Wins: 19 (=4th)
Draws: 14 (=1st)
Losses: 5 (=20th)
Goals scored: 69 (6th)
Goals conceded: 33 (=20th)
Yellow cards: 62 (13th)
Red cards: 2 (=6th)
Passes: 16,052 (11th)
Shots: 571 (6th)
Big chances missed: 69 (=4th)
Saves: 97 (16th)
Tackles: 607 (15th)
Own goals: 2 (=9th)
Hit woodwork: 26 (1st)
Clearances: 646 (15th)
HOW DID IT COMPARE TO LAST SEASON?
© Reuters
During a turbulent 2021-22 season, Newcastle only gleaned a total of 13 top-flight wins from 38 games - 12 of which came in the second half of the season - to end up in mid-table obscurity 11th place.
However, Howe's men achieved that tally of victories in nine fewer contests this season - taking 29 matches to hit that unlucky number - while finishing a whopping seven places and 22 points better off.
The Magpies also finished a Premier League season with a positive goal difference for the first time since 2011-12, scoring 68 goals compared to 44 last term while conceding a mere 33, having let in 62 in 2021-22.
Not since the days of Sir Bobby Robson in 2001-02 had Newcastle netted more in the top flight, while 33 goals conceded - level with Manchester City - marks their best-ever defensive record in a Premier League season.
While there was a seismic shift in their Premier League fortunes, that did not translate into an improvement in the FA Cup, where Newcastle suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Cambridge United in the third round last year.
Another exit to lower-tier opposition bedevilled Howe's men this time around too, as Sheffield Wednesday sealed a 2-1 win at Hillsborough in the third round, but the Magpies would march on to Wembley either way.
Barely two weeks into the 2021-22 season, Newcastle's quest for EFL Cup glory ended in a second-round penalty shootout defeat to Burnley, but they reached the final for the first time in 47 years this term before a dose of Manchester United-inflicted heartbreak.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON: KIERAN TRIPPIER
© Reuters
For the first time in a while, Newcastle fans have been spoiled for choice in their Player of the Season shortlist, with all of Isak, Wilson, Fabian Schar, Botman and Joelinton certainly worthy of a mention.
However, taking on the role of captain and creator-in-chief during the Magpies' successful push for Champions League football, Kieran Trippier has taken to life back in the Premier League like he never left.
The 32-year-old started all 38 Premier League games for the Magpies and contributed one goal and seven assists to the cause, as well as 110 key passes, second only to Bruno Fernandes's 119.
The England international may be turning 33 in September, but his performances were rightly rewarded with a new two-and-a-half year contract until 2025 in January, and Trippier's Champions League know-how from his time at Tottenham and Atletico Madrid could prove invaluable next year.
STANDOUT RESULT: NEWCASTLE 6-1 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
© Reuters
Starting the day just three points better off than previous top-four challengers in the Premier League table, Newcastle were arguably the favourites before the first ball was kicked in the wake of the Lilywhites' humbling home loss to Bournemouth.
Stellini's job may have already been hanging by a thread before Spurs made the long and arduous trip to Tyneside, where the Lilywhites boss experimented with an unfamiliar four-man defence, but the move backfired and then some as Newcastle tore their capital counterparts to shreds.
During an unprecedented 10-minute opening to the match, Jacob Murphy netted a brace alongside an effort from Joelinton in front of two shell-shocked sets of supporters and benches - Murphy's bewildered expression after scoring his third goal told the story perfectly.
The first-half onslaught was far from over, as Newcastle continued to come forward in droves and increased their lead to five goals by the 21st minute through Isak, scoring a quintet of Premier League goals in the second-quickest time as previously mentioned.
Despite quickly switching to a five-man backline and witnessing Harry Kane pull one back in the second half, Stellini's desperate attempt at salvation was futile, as Wilson also got in on the act to restore Newcastle's astonishing five-goal advantage late on.
That Magpies-inflicted mauling would prove to be the final nail in Stellini's Tottenham coffin, as the Italian was sacked from his post barely 24 hours later, but for those in black and white, pandemonium lasted long into the night.
> Click here for a full list of Newcastle results from the 2022-23 season
BEST MOMENT
© Reuters
Thanks to Aston Villa denying Liverpool all three points two days before, Newcastle went into their Monday night showdown with Leicester on May 22 knowing that a point would have been good enough for a guaranteed Champions League berth, but Howe only had eyes for another maximum against Dean Smith's relegation dog fighters.
The visitors evidently set up to frustrate the Magpies, and a combination of resolute defending, wasteful finishing and the woodwork all played its part for Leicester, whose game plan was being executed to a tee for 90-odd minutes in the North East.
However, needing all three to leave their fate in their own hands heading into the final day, Leicester - who had their backs against the wall for the majority of the match - suddenly came forward en masse, and the tension inside St James' Park was palpable to say the least.
The Foxes very nearly played the role of party poopers in second-half injury time, when a cross from James Maddison fell at the feet of Timothy Castagne in the centre of the penalty area, but Pope dived to his right and palmed the ball away from danger.
Following what was surely the save of his career so far, Pope was instantly mobbed at the full-time whistle by his teammates, who recognised that their goalkeeper's intervention had arguably punched their ticket to the Champions League.
Reaching the EFL Cup final and Murphy's stunning third against Tottenham were honourable mentions for Newcastle's best moment of the season, but having been a mere spectator for 90 minutes on May 22, Pope's unexpected heroism typified that of a goalkeeper who has earned his place amongst the continental elite.
TOP PRIORITY FOR SUMMER
© Reuters
Qualifying for the Champions League is one thing, but if Newcastle are going to lay down a marker in Europe and hold their own against the big boys of the continent, the Magpies can ill-afford any recruitment errors in the upcoming transfer window.
The Saudi-backed outfit have perhaps been more frugal in the market than initially anticipated in the wake of their lucrative takeover, but the cash should certainly be splashed in the coming months, and Howe's midfield sticks out like a sore thumb.
Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff, Joelinton and Joe Willock are all excellent options to have, but injuries throughout the season have exposed the Magpies' lack of depth in the centre of the park, and 20-year-old Elliot Anderson should not be thrown into the deep end of the Champions League pool so soon.
While Guimaraes has primarily operated in a deep-lying role, the Brazilian would hope to revert to his favoured number eight position from next season, so capturing an established defensive midfielder should be Newcastle's first port of call for the summer window.
West Ham United's Declan Rice is believed to be the dream, but competition for the Englishman's signature will be incredibly stiff, and forking out £100m on one player would restrict the Magpies' ability to bolster their wide ranks in defence and attack - a new left-back is also thought to be high on the agenda.
The likes of Manchester United's Scott McTominay and Sporting Lisbon's Manuel Ugarte - both of whom possess Champions League and Europa League experience - would represent cheaper alternatives, as would Fulham's Joao Palhinha and Ajax enforcer Edson Alvarez.
However, with incomings there must also be outgoings, and the possible exits of Jamal Lewis, Ryan Fraser, Matt Ritchie and Paul Dummett would free up space for players with Champions League pedigree.
FINAL VERDICT
While incessant criticism of their ownership continues to rage, Howe's men have done all they can on the field to bring the good times back to St James' Park, and the soon-to-be Champions League contenders have done exactly that.
Only two years after enduring life in the doldrums of the bottom half, the bright lights of the Champions League will return to Tyneside, and as much as money has played its part in Newcastle's meteoric rise from the ashes, Howe has worked wonders with longer-serving players whose Magpies careers hitherto showed little signs of life.
Bringing out the best of the likes of Schar, Joelinton, Murphy and Almiron has played a huge part in Newcastle's phenomenal campaign - one which go down in the club's record books for all the right reasons - and only avoiding defeat in the EFL Cup final could have made the season even sweeter.
The journey is only just beginning for the European travellers, though, and while you would be hard-pressed to find a Newcastle fan who was not satisfied with their team's exploits this term, consolidating their status as continental regulars is next on the agenda for Howe and co.
Ben Knapton
