Champions League bonuses keep coming for Newcastle United | OneFootball

Bonus after bonus for Newcastle United when it comes to the push for Champions League football.

Eddie Howe and his players not in action this weekend until facing Leicester City away on Monday night.

Playing last can have its advantages and disadvantages.

If other results go for you, then a little less pressure and players more able to play their normal game. Plus of course the massive carrot being that if you win, then you know that you will gain significant ground against others.

If the results go against you, then the opposite. More pressure and you need to win just to stand still.

On Saturday, it really couldn’t have gone much better for Newcastle United (see below). Of the five teams competing for Champions League places, four of them dropped points. The only one who didn’t do so was Aston Villa and that was only because they defeated Forest 2-1 and deprived Nuno’s third place team of any points, meaning United would only be a point behind Forest if winning their two games in hand.

As for today (Sunday), more of the same!

Sunday 6 April Premier League matches:

Brentford 0 Chelsea 0 – Ahead of today, the last time Chelsea won a game against a team outside the current bottom seven, was back on 15 December 2024 and that still holds true! Chelsea are so average and carried so little threat in this goalless draw, I really do think they have fluked it to be in any kind of contention for a Champions League place. They have only won five of their last fifteen PL matches now. Newcastle now with two games in hand on Chelsea who are only three points ahead.

Fulham 3 Liverpool 2 – Fulham the only club who went into the weekend in the top half, who didn’t drop points of those playing today. Bouncing back from Liverpool taking the lead, Fulham dominated and deserved their 3-1 lead, before the scousers rallied late on and reduced it to a one goal margin. Fulham have moved up to eighth (see table below) but are two points behind Newcastle and Eddie Howe’s team have two games in hand on them as well. Plus, Newcastle could (mathematically!) still catch Liverpool…

Spurs 3 Southampton 1 – Two really shocking teams and the only thing of note here was that Southampton are now relegated, as they try to outdo that Derby record of only 11 points in a Premier League season.

Man U 0 Man City 0 – This was a truly shocking match, as Gary Neville said, it was more like a pre-season friendly. Man U desperate not to get beat in the derby and bizarrely, Man City not even looking to push for a winner at the end. Both happy not to lose. Man City only two points ahead of Newcastle now and NUFC have two games in hand.

Eddie Howe and his players now with Leicester away on Monday night and then home games against Man U and Palace. What an opportunity has opened up now for NUFC to get themselves into a great position these next ten days.

Saturday 5 April Premier League results:

Everton 1 Arsenal 1

Mikel Arteta says (again and again and again) that it was never a penalty when Everton equalised, does he ever accept a decision that goes against him? It might seem unlikely that Newcastle could catch them, but fact is that whilst United are 12 points behind Arsenal, Eddie Howe’s side have two games in hand on the Gunners, so effectively the gap could be only six points. Whilst Newcastle have already beaten Arsenal three times this season and have them to play at the Emirates, whilst Arsenal still have to play at Anfield. Unlikely BUT now a very small possibility that Newcastle could catch Arsenal.

Palace 2 Brighton 1

Another defeat for Brighton and with Newcastle now three points clear of the Seagulls AND with two games in hand, United now shouldn’t finish below them, not if having serious top five aspirations.

Ipswich 1 Wolves 2

Not instantly making you think of benefit to Newcastle United but after leading in this game, Ipswich could have closed to within six points of fourth bottom Wolves. Instead, Ipswich are now 12 points from safety and so it means that they will very likely be relegated by the time they travel to St James’ Park at the end of the month, having nothing to play for.

West Ham 2 Bournemouth 2

Surely the final blow that ends any top five hopes for Bournemouth. They are five points adrift of Newcastle and have played two games more.

Villa 2 Forest 1

A game where Newcastle couldn’t lose. Yes, Villa can turn it on at times and have gone a point ahead of Newcastle, but I think overall a good result for NUFC  with two games in hand on Villa. If Newcastle win these next three matches against Leicester, Man U and Palace, they will be a minimum of five points ahead of Unai Emery’s team when travelling to Villa Park on 19 April.

As for Forest, if Newcastle win these next three matches and Nuno’s side fail to win at home to Everton, then United would be guaranteed to be above Forest by end of business on Wednesday 16 April.

This is how the table looks on Sunday (6 April 2025) night: