The 2012-13 campaign was a dramatic and tumultuous fight for survival for Newcastle United, as The Magpies fell to a precarious 16th-place finish in the Premier League, only securing their top-flight status in the penultimate game after a disastrous mid-season slump. The season, marred by an extensive injury crisis, a lack of squad depth, and the added strain of a memorable run to the Europa League Quarter-finals (losing to eventual finalists Benfica), saw the side's attacking threat divided. Star striker Demba Ba notched 13 crucial goals before his mid-season departure to Chelsea, a tally matched across all competitions by Papiss Cissé, anchoring a tense, hard-fought campaign that remains a defining chapter of a desperate battle to stay in the elite.