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We meet again...
Written by Mark Hannen
With the fixture computer having given United a home game with Tottenham for their first game of the 2018/19 season in consecutive league campaigns, it’s worth looking back in history to see if such an eventuality has happened before.
And in United's previous 114 league campaigns, the answer is: it hasn't!
The Magpies have played their first game against the same team in consecutive seasons on five previous occasions - with the difference being both were away or one was at home and one away.
In 1905/06, Newcastle lost 3-2 away to Sunderland on the opening day but won 4-2 at home 12 months later and United won 2-0 at Bolton on the opening day of 1911/12 before recording a 2-1 victory in the same fixture in 1912/13.
The Magpies kicked off the 1950/51 campaign with a 2-1 win at Stoke, then beat the Potters 6-0 at St. James' Park on the first day of 1951/52 (a result which remains United's biggest ever opening-day win) then faced West Ham on the first day of the 1968/69 and 1969/70 seasons, drawing 1-1 at St. James' Park before losing 1-0 in East London.
Most recently, United faced Manchester City on the first weekend of the 2013/14 campaign, losing 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium, then entertained City on Tyneside on the opening week of the 2014/15 season and were beaten 2-0.
Spurs were 2-0 winners at St. James' Park in last season's first fixture, and will provide another tough start for Rafa Benítez's side next term.
But while United's first few games look somewhat daunting on paper, it's worth looking back to 2014/15 when many fans saw matches against Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Hull and Stoke as eminently winnable and a good chance to get points on the board in the early weeks of the season.
As it transpired, those games reaped only three points and not a single win. It just goes to show...