Newcastle United will face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Championship this afternoon.
Newcastle United winger Matt Ritchie has told The Chronicle that keeping clean sheets is going to be key to his side’s success this season.
The Magpies are playing in the Championship this season after getting relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.
Rafael Benitez’s side are in great form at the moment and currently find themselves second in the standings.
Newcastle have picked up 15 points from seven league matches so far, just one fewer than leaders Huddersfield Town.
The former Premier League outfit have kept clean sheets in each of their last five competitive fixtures.
Ritchie believes that not conceding goals will be key to Newcastle’s success during the 2016-17 campaign.
The winger made the comment following the Magpies’ 6-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers away from home at Loftus Road in the Championship on Tuesday evening.
“A lot of credit has to go to the back four,” Ritchie told The Chronicle. “We scored six goals, but the most important thing was that we kept another clean sheet. That’s a key thing in this league – keeping clean sheets.
“With the quality we’ve got up top, we’re always going to score goals, so if we continue to defend well as well, it’ll be a good combination. The clean sheets are going to be key to our success.”
Ritchie joined Newcastle from Premier League outfit Bournemouth in the summer transfer window for a fee reported by BBC Sport to be worth £12 million.
The 27-year-old Scotland international winger has scored one goal and created 13 chances in seven Championship matches for Newcastle so far this season.
Newcastle will take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at St. James’ Park in the league this afternoon.
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