Newcastle United roundup: unbeaten start, the Howe question and a Leeds test to come

Newcastle United head into mid-September unbeaten in the Premier League, but the biggest story at St James' Park is currently unfolding off the pitch.

Steady start on the pitch

According to the Premier League table, Newcastle sit sixth with five points from three matches — one win and two draws — having scored six goals and conceded four, for a form line that reads D, W, D.

Their results so far:

• Newcastle United 2-2 AFC Bournemouth
• Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Newcastle United
• Newcastle United 2-2 Liverpool

The stand-out performance came away at Tottenham, where Newcastle won 2-0 against a side that, according to the Premier League table, has yet to score this season. The two home draws, against Bournemouth and Liverpool, tell the other side of the story: sharp going forward, but breached twice in each of them.

Six goals in three games is a healthy return, too — according to the Premier League table, only Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester City and Manchester United have scored more — and Newcastle's five points leave them level with Brentford, Liverpool, Everton and Leeds, four behind early pace-setters Manchester City and Arsenal, who both hold perfect nine-point records.

The Howe question

The off-field story is the big one. BBC Sport reported on 8 September that Newcastle had been 'preparing for months' for Eddie Howe's departure, in a piece that quickly became the club's dominant storyline of the week. FanTribe has not independently confirmed the report, and questions about what it means for the dugout — and for who leads the team away at Leeds next Monday — remain open.

The fortnight ahead

Two fixtures frame the next two weeks, and both will tell us plenty about whether this unbeaten start can become something more substantial:

• Leeds United v Newcastle United — Monday 14 September, 20:00 BST. FanTribe's listed match odds make Leeds the narrow favourites at 2.54, with the draw at 3.60 and an away win at 3.00. Leeds are also unbeaten, according to the Premier League table, with five points from three games.
• Newcastle United v Hull City — Saturday 19 September, 15:00 BST. Odds have yet to be listed. According to the Premier League table, Hull arrive third with seven points and are the only side in the division yet to concede a goal.

Fan tracker

FanTribe's club data currently shows zero registered Newcastle United supporters on the platform, so there is no fan sentiment reading to attach to this week's roundup. Toon fans who want their voice counted can join the club's page and change that.

An unbeaten start, a place in the top six and a testing fortnight ahead — with the Howe story still developing in the background, there is plenty for Newcastle supporters to watch between now and the Hull game.