Newcastle United route to finish top half now simplified – Only 3 things now have to happen | OneFootball

Things look a lot clearer for Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Safety was achieved long ago, thanks to the astonishing job Eddie Howe has done, in turning around what looked a hopeless situation.

The NUFC Head Coach suitably rewarded on Monday night, when his players saved arguably their best this season at St James Park in the Premier League for last.

That win over Arsenal meant that Eddie Howe and his players have ended their home season with seven wins from their final eight games at St James Park.

This has given a chance of what would be a remarkable top ten finish. It would actually be more than remarkable considering the situation Eddie Howe walked into back in November.

The current Premier League table is below, along with a list of the 1o final Premier League matches that still have to be played.

Then there is my explanation of what has to happen, if Newcastle United are indeed going to end the season in the top half of the Premier League.

Thursday 19 May

Everton 3 Crystal Palace 2

Aston Villa 1 Burnley 1

Chelsea 1 Leicester 1

This is the Premier League table on Friday (20 May 2022) morning, with 1o PL matches still to play out:

Sunday 22 May (all 4pm kick-offs)

Arsenal v Everton

Brentford v Leeds

Brighton v West Ham

Burnley v Newcastle

Chelsea v Watford

Crystal Palace v Man Utd

Leicester v Southampton

Liverpool v Wolves

Man City v Aston Villa

Norwich v Tottenham

So for Newcastle United to finish in the top half of the table we need the following to happen…

Firstly, Newcastle HAVE to win at Burnley on Sunday.

Secondly, we then also need the following two things to happen…

Brighton to lose at home to West Ham.

Brentford to lose or draw at home to Leeds.

The good news last night, from a purely Newcastle’s chances of finishing top half perspective, was that with Palace losing and Villa failing to win, neither of the pair can now end the season in the top ten.

The Leicester draw at Chelsea means that technically Newcastle United could finish above the Foxes, however, as well as both Leicester losing and Newcastle winning on Sunday, it would also need NUFC to turn around a 19 goal difference with Brendan Rodgers’ team.

So basically, it is a three club shootout for the tenth and final place in the top half, with Brighton,, Brentford and Newcastle competing for it.

If Eddie Howe does pull this off, it would be only the fourth time in all of the 15 seasons that kicked off under Mike Ashley’s ownership, where Newcastle have ended the season in the top half of the Premier League, with the other three – fifth in 2011/12, then tenth in both 2013/14 and 2017/18.