Premier League news: Newcastle Utd’s poor form since Carabao Cup victory points to mentality issue

Triumph at Wembley feels like a lifetime ago for Newcastle United, whose poor form since that famous Carabao Cup win back in March points to a larger mentality issue.

What should have marked the start of a new era for the club has instead turned into a period of inconsistency and disappointing results.

For many supporters, the Carabao Cup victory felt like the beginning of something special – the team was together, confident, and full of belief, a feeling that fans shared.

After ending their 56-year trophy drought, the Magpies carried the momentum into their next fixtures, beating the likes of Brentford, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, and Chelsea comfortably.

The energy around the club remained upbeat, with the team playing to a high intensity and with belief and finishing a very respectable fifth in the Premier League to secure Champions League football for the 2025/26 season.

Eddie Howe’s side came into this Premier League campaign with heightened expectations following their cup victory and European qualification.

However, this season has been defined by conceding late goals, lacklustre performances, inconsistent results, and fan disappointment.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Charlotte Allsopp takes a look at Newcastle’s ongoing struggles.

Inconsistent form

Fluctuating performances and results have started to become very common for Newcastle this season, which has left fans deflated and discouraged.

Inconsistency has proven a key issue for the Carabao Cup winners, with flat and error-ridden displays occurring far too frequently for a top side.

Newcastle have won only 38% of their league matches in the current Premier League campaign up to December 2025 and are sitting down in 12th in the table.

In fact, the Magpies have dropped 11 points from winning positions this season, which is the highest in the league.

The majority of those lost points have come from conceding late goals on a consistent basis.

Eddie Howe has noted and commented on his side’s habit of conceding late, stating: “It’s definitely a failing – it's happened too many times this season.”

The root cause of this current problem remains unclear, but multiple theories have been put forward, including injuries, fatigue, defensive errors, and mismanagement.

Anthony Gordon recently criticised the team’s mentality too, admitting: “We are conceding too many goals late in games. I don’t know if that is fatigue, but it all comes back to mentality.

“We have to hold out in these games because that is what top teams do. Again, it comes back to mentality. We need to be stronger, we need to be better.”

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Lacking intensity

Newcastle have been known for their intensity in recent years.

Relentless pressing, high physicality, intense energy, and outworking opponents were trademark features under Howe – and it brought them success.

However, those traits have faded this season, and the team has struggled to hit the same levels of intensity week in, week out.

Performances have dropped and the team looks less coordinated, with more errors being made and opponents finding it easier to overwhelm the Magpies.

Once they concede, there is little faith shown from the players that they can turn it around.

Indeed, many fans are now admitting that they fear defeat as soon as the team goes behind.

A demanding schedule definitely factors into this loss of intensity – with Champions League, Premier League, and Carabao Cup fixtures coming non-stop, the players rarely have time to rest or recover and injuries become frequent.

In recent fixtures, notably the derby, the effort of players has come into question from supporters, who are becoming more and more frustrated with their team’s inability to hold onto a lead.

For Newcastle to rediscover their fight, energy, and intensity, they must return to the core identity and mentality that led them to Champions League qualification and a Carabao Cup trophy.

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