After 36 matches of this Premier League season, Newcastle United have taken 25 points fewer than they did from the same 36 fixtures last season when they finished fifth. Declining so much from one season to the next is relatively rare and has only occurred 15 times in the past 31 seasons and just once since 1995/1996.
Perhaps not surprisingly, eight of the clubs whose points total declined so much were relegated that season. The other seven had all finished in the top five the previous season but this is not necessarily enough as Ipswich Town found in 2001/2002 when they went down a season after finishing fifth.
If Newcastle United join this group at the end of the season, they will be the third team, after Leeds United and Ipswich Town, to have suffered such a decline more than once. The Magpies were relegated 24 years ago, a season after finishing eighth in Division One with 56 points. Their decline of 25 points left them bottom of the league a season later.