With a win against Everton on November 5, Newcastle find themselves in third place in the Premier League. They have yet to lose in league action so far, as a team that had seen the depths of the Championship only a few seasons ago now look to set foot in Europe.

However, there are more sceptics than believers for the northern club, many of whom cite an easy run of opposition as the reason for the good form. Let's think of it this way: if we vanquish parity out of the question — since we are well past the quarter mark of matches played — we should be able to judge whether or not the teams that Newcastle have played have been worthy opponents.

Using a mathematical equation, we can find out exactly how easy their challengers have been. Taking the current league position of all of the Tyne's past opposition and adding them together, then dividing by how many games they have played gives us their Opposition Position Number (OPN). This number indicates what the average position of the team's opposition has been. The closer to the middle of the table the number is, the more balanced the schedule. The Magpies' OPN sits at 13, which is well under the 'fair' schedule number at 10.5. The lowest OPN a team could have at this point would be 15, while the highest would be six. It's important to regard this stat because it proves that Newcastle has had an easy go out there. After the match against Everton, Steven Taylor alluded to the reporter that the reason for the good start has been "team spirit." Part of that symmetry comes from the fact the clubs they have faced have been mediocre, and good results always yields happy dressing rooms.

However, much can be said about this current Newcastle side. They have really played great football with some youthful flair. Demba Ba has been clinical up front, playing a good all-around striker role. Ryan Taylor had one of the prettiest goals you will see all year with a dipping volley that went bar-down. The team may just be underrated as a side that could creep into Europe next season.

Going back to OPN, the stat can shed some light on how the team will do in their next matches. In their next five games they play both Manchester sides and Chelsea amongst others. The OPN for those five fixtures jumps to 5.2. It's up to this team to keep the ball rolling through these matches and limit the damage.

Late Subs: Another international break will provide the European Championships play-offs. Some fantastic football is played in these spaces — they're a must-watch. The Bosnia versus Portugal games will be far and away the most competitive playoff you will see in Europe. Speaking about exciting play-offs, MLS is getting closer to finding its winner. Parity isn't as strong as years prior, as David Beckham and his LA Galaxy play at home in the MLS Cup against Houston on November 20.