Premier League football returns on Saturday, with Newcastle United among the clubs gearing up for what is sure to be a hectic season.

The Magpies will be taking part in their fourth consecutive top-flight campaign and their second under Steve Bruce, who surpassed most expectations last season.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the North-East outfit ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.

How did they fare last season?

Better than many expected, but still with work to do.

There were plenty of murmurs of discontent when Steve Bruce was named as Rafael Benitez's replacement at St James' Park, and the mood of the supporters was not improved when his first two matches at the helm ended with defeats to Arsenal and Norwich City.

However, victory at Tottenham Hotspur on matchday three got Bruce off the mark, while they also overcame Manchester United and Chelsea during the course of the season.

For much of the campaign Bruce's Newcastle were faring better than Benitez's at the same stage of the previous season, although at the end of it all there was very little separating the two years.

Newcastle finished 13th in 2019-20, the same position as one year earlier but one point worse off - with fewer goals scored and more conceded - following a poor end to the campaign which saw them pick up only one point from the last 15 on offer.

Defeat at relegation-bound Norwich and a 5-0 drubbing by Leicester City were arguably the low points of the season, but they also claimed some major scalps throughout the course of the campaign too.

Biggest improvement needed

More goals from the forwards.

Newcastle splashed a combined £60m on Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin last summer, yet in total their attackers scored a paltry nine Premier League goals between them in 2019-20 - the fewest in the division.

A chance conversion ratio of 11.8% - one of the worst in the league - offers a hint of the problem, yet other Newcastle players did not seem to have as much of an issue finding the back of the net.

No team scored more goals through defenders than Newcastle last season (14), while only five teams scored more than their 15 from midfielders too.

Indeed, the Magpies boasted 17 different goalscorers throughout the campaign - a joint league-high - but their top scorer was Jonjo Shelvey with only six.

Manager: Steve Bruce

Steve Bruce spent time away from Premier League management before joining his boyhood club last summer, with his previous three jobs being with Hull City, Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday.

Bruce's arrival at St James' Park was questioned by the club's fans - partially due to his previous stint as Sunderland boss but also due to the popularity of his predecessor Rafael Benitez.

The experienced 59-year-old slowly won over many of those supporters, but others are yet to be convinced after Newcastle averaged just 37.8% possession last season - their lowest in the Premier League since records began.

Key player: Allan Saint-Maximin

Newcastle may have been expecting more from Allan Saint-Maximin last season, with the winger only scoring three goals and creating five more following his big-money arrival.

However, his performances improved as the season progressed and his direct style evoked memories of the popular wingers of days gone by at St James' Park.

Newcastle won every game in which Saint-Maximin either scored or assisted last season, and so if he can begin to do that more often then that could be a route to improvement for the Magpies.

Summer transfer business

In
Mark Gillespie (free, Motherwell)
Jeff Hendrick (free, Burnley)
Ryan Fraser (free, Bournemouth)
Callum Wilson (£20m, Bournemouth)
Jamal Lewis (£14.9m, Norwich City)

Out
Jack Colback (free, Nottingham Forest)
Jamie Sterry (released)
Rob Elliot (released)
Jake Turner (loan, Morecambe)
Tom Allan (loan, Accrington Stanley)
Freddie Woodman (loan, Swansea City)
Kelland Watts (loan, Plymouth Argyle)
Mo Sangare (loan, Accrington Stanley)
Florian Lejeune (loan, Alaves)
Yoshinori Muto (loan, Eibar)
Dan Barlaser (£250,000, Rotherham United)
Jack Young (loan, Tranmere Rovers)

Newcastle total spent to date: £34.9m
Newcastle total received to date: £250,000

Newcastle net transfer balance: -£34.6m

Squad

1. Martin Dubravka (GK)
2. Ciaran Clark (DF)
3. Paul Dummett (DF)
4. Matty Longstaff (MF)
5. Fabian Schar (DF)
6. Jamaal Lascelles (DF)
7. Andy Carroll (FW)
8. Jonjo Shelvey (MF)
9. Joelinton (FW)
10. Allan Saint-Maximin (MF)
11. Matt Ritchie (MF)
12. Dwight Gayle (FW)
13. Callum Wilson (FW)
14. Isaac Hayden (MF)
15. Jamal Lewis (DF)
16. Jeff Hendrick (MF)
17. Emil Krafth (DF)
18. Federico Fernandez (DF)
19. Javi Manquillo (DF)
20. Florian Lejeune (DF)
21. Ryan Fraser (MF)
22. DeAndre Yedlin (DF)
23. Jacob Murphy (MF)
24. Miguel Almiron (MF)
26. Karl Darlow (GK)
27. Yoshinori Muto (FW)
28. Henri Saivet (MF)
29. Mark Gillespie (GK)
30. Christian Atsu (MF)
32. Daniel Barlaser (MF)
36. Sean Longstaff (MF)
41. Dan Langley (GK)

Possible starting XI

Fixture list

First up for Newcastle is an away game against West Ham United on the opening Saturday of the new season, and they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to St James' Park in their first home outing.

The turn of the year looks particularly difficult for the Magpies, with back-to-back games against Manchester City and Liverpool bringing an end to 2020 before starting the New Year against Leicester City, Sheffield United and Arsenal.

Newcastle then face those five teams in succession again towards the end of the campaign before finishing at home to newly-promoted Fulham.

SEPTEMBER

12: West Ham (a)

19: Brighton (h)

26: Tottenham (a)

OCTOBER

3: Burnley (h)

17: Man Utd (h)

24: Wolves (a)

31: Everton (h)

NOVEMBER

7: Southampton (a)

21: Chelsea (h)

28: Crystal Palace (a)

DECEMBER

5: Aston Villa (a)

12: West Brom (h)

15: Leeds (a)

19: Fulham (h)

26: Man City (a)

28: Liverpool (h)

JANUARY

2: Leicester (h)

12: Sheff Utd (a)

16: Arsenal (a)

27: Leeds (h)

30: Everton (a)

FEBRUARY

3: Crystal Palace (h)

6: Southampton (h)

13: Chelsea (a)

20: Man Utd (a)

27: Wolves (h)

MARCH

6: West Brom (a)

13: Aston Villa (h)

20: Brighton (a)

APRIL

3: Tottenham (h)

10: Burnley (a)

17: West Ham (h)

24: Liverpool (a)

MAY

1: Arsenal (h)

8: Leicester (a)

12: Man City (h)

15: Sheff Utd (h)

23: Fulham (a)

Prediction: 12th

Newcastle's biggest problem last season was goalscoring, and the additions of former Bournemouth duo Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser should help with that.

More will also be expected of Joelinton, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron on the goal front, and if those forwards can begin firing then Steve Bruce has a potent attack on his hands, capable of causing most teams problems.

Of course, on last season's evidence that remains a big if, but Newcastle should have enough to safely steer themselves clear of relegation this season.