Despite being seperated by a division, you could argue that Newcastle have a stronger side than Hull.
Hull City defender Harry Maguire says Tuesday’s EFL Cup quarter-final opponents Newcastle United should be playing in the Premier League, according to the club’s official Twitter account.
While there can be few doubts that The Magpies thoroughly deserved their relegation last season after a dismal campaign under Steve McClaren, their fantastic form in the second tier suggests that a return to the top flight won’t be too far away.
Despite a shock home defeat to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, Newcastle are still two points clear of Brighton and six ahead of Reading in third, with manager Rafael Benitez enjoying the luxury of being able to leave the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Mo Diame on the bench with little impact on results or performances.
And Maguire, who helped Hull earn promotion to the Premier League last season via the play-offs, says Newcastle are simply too strong for the second tier.
While Hull have stuttered through the season with one of the smallest squads in the Premier League, not helped by a succession of long-term injuries to key players, Newcastle’s current crop would not look out of place in the top flight with the likes of Dwight Gayle, Matt Ritchie and Jonjo Shelvey (below) all proving themselves to be worthy of a starting place in a Premier League side at one stage or another.
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