Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez would have viewed the home clash against the Premier League's bottom side Swansea City on Saturday as a must-win – at least in private – game, but once again the Magpies came up short.

The Tyneside outfit had the chance to move five points clear of the relegation zone and increase their advantage over the Swans in the standings to nine points, but instead they lie three points above 18th-placed Stoke City and six above the Welsh club.

Benitez and the St James' Park faithful would have been fearing the worst when Jordan Ayew finally made the breakthrough for the visitors in a nervy constest on the hour-mark – especially given some of the Toon's recent results on their own patch – but Joselu hit back just eight minutes later to give the hosts a much-needed share of the spoils.

While it wasn't a disastrous result, it could be two points dropped that they live to regret come what May.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Newcastle United vs Swansea City - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - January 13, 2018   Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez                    Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith    EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.  Please contact your account

Newcastle would have hoped that they could make St James' a fortress this season in order to help them in their bid to survive, but it hasn't proven to be the case thus far.

It certainly looked as though it could be a possibility when they took 10 points from their opening five Premier League matches at home – including wins against West Ham United, Stoke City, Crystal Palace and a draw against Liverpool – but things have gone downhill quickly since that point.

They have only taken two points from the next seven fixtures on Tyneside, and according to Soccerstats.com their record of 12 points from 12 home games is the second-weakest in the division – only bottom side Swansea's is worse.

Things started to go wrong at the end of October when it was announced that owner Mike Ashley had put the club for sale, with a proposed takeover – which fell through on Tuesday – grabbing the headlines and perhaps providing a big distraction to the players on the pitch.

Newcastle looked set to get a point at home to a struggling Bournemouth side at the beginning of November as the game went into injury-time, but Steve Cook scored a 92nd-minute winner for the south coast outfit to give them a crucial three points.

Including that loss against the Cherries, the Magpies went on a run of only taking one point from eight Premier League matches, which included devastating reverses on their own patch against Watford, Leicester City and Everton – all games that Benitez would have believed his side could get points from even though he clearly is unhappy with the strength in depth he has in his squad.

A narrow 1-0 defeat against runaway leaders Manchester City then followed on December 27, before Newcastle were faced with back-to-back home matches against Brighton and Hove Albion and Swansea as they looked to hopefully get six – or at least four – points on the board to move them away from trouble.

If a goalless draw against the former was frustrating, the result in the latter would have been a devastating blow for Benitez, who may be unable to strengthen his squad as he would have liked in the remainder of the January window with no takeover on the cards as things stand.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Newcastle United vs Swansea City - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - January 13, 2018   Newcastle United's Jonjo Shelvey reacts                   Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith    EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.  Please contact your account

With three home wins from 12 games and just 21 goals in 23 Premier League matches in total, Newcastle are in big danger of an instant return to the Championship as things stand right now, and the supporters will be nervous when they look at their team's remaining home fixtures.

While they have potentially winnable and hugely important home fixtures against Burnley, Huddersfield Town, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion to come, they also welcome Manchester United, Arsenal and then Chelsea to St James' Park on the final day.

The Tyneside outfit can't afford to slip up against the former four like they have against Watford, Bournemouth, Brighton and Swansea previously and their players need to step up, because if they don't the club will be in real danger of going down.

Benitez's men still have time to turn things around and four wins from four in those upcoming winnable home games would probably save them, but if they fail to do so they will look back at their mid-season form on their own patch and realise that it cost them.

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