How have Newcastle United fared in games against their relegation rivals this season? (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)How have Newcastle United fared in games against their relegation rivals this season? (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
How have Newcastle United fared in games against their relegation rivals this season? (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

This is how Newcastle United's record against relegation rivals this season compares to Leeds United, Everton, Aston Villa, Burnley and more

The traditional view states that in order to avoid relegation, you must beat the teams around you.

Wins against your relegation rivals can often mean much more than the three-points on offer, it can often have a huge psychological impact and lasting effects for the remainder of the season.

Eddie Howe’s side demonstrated this at the weekend with victory over Brentford, a win that lifted them to 14th in the table and dragged the Bees closer to relegation danger.

Just a few weeks ago, many believed that it was a four-horse race to avoid relegation this season, however, there’s now seven teams all involved in the scrap for survival, with one or two other sides nervously looking over their shoulders at the sides below them.

Howe’s side made it seven games unbeaten on Saturday, but how have they fared against the teams around them?

Here, we take a look at how a table would look if only games between the teams in the bottom-half counted:

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Just a few weeks ago, many believed that it was a four-horse race to avoid relegation this season, however, there’s now seven teams all involved in the scrap for survival, with one or two other sides nervously looking over their shoulders at the sides below them.