Newcastle United 100 per cent deserved to get Champions League above Aston Villa | OneFootball

Newcastle United went into the final round of Premier League matches ahead of Aston Villa.

That is the way it stayed.

Both Newcastle United and Aston Villa losing their matches on Sunday.

Regardless of what happened at St James’ Park yesterday, United were guaranteed top five and Champions League if Aston Villa lost at Old Trafford.

The two games ended Newcastle 0 Everton 1 and Manchester United 2 Aston Villa 0.

Unai Emery and Aston Villa crying on about getting robbed of Champions League qualification due to one refereeing decision at Old Trafford.

The truth is though that Newcastle United 100 per cent deserved to get Champions League ahead of Aston Villa.

Newcastle United won more Premier League games than Aston Villa, 20 v 19.

Newcastle United scored more Premier League goals than Aston Villa, 68 v 58.

Newcastle United conceded less Premier League goals than Aston Villa, 47 v 51.

Newcastle United 14 goals better off than Aston Villa when it came to goal difference.

After such a long Premier League season lasting nine and a half months, you can’t turn around and blame something on one decision by a match official where you claim to be hard done by.

We all get these decisions going for and against us across the season.

Aston Villa had 114 Premier League points to play for across the season and they failed to get 48 of those 114 points. If they had managed to drop less than 48 points they would have been ok.

Back in the 2022/23 Premier League season I thought 100 per cent that Newcastle United should have finished third, Eddie Howe’s team had been far better than Manchester United, in my opinion. However, the final 2022/23 table showed Man U in third on 75 points and United fourth on 71 points. No good crying on about it though, the only people to ‘blame’ if that is how you want to put it, were ourselves, Newcastle United’s manager, players and fans, we all needed to do more to ensure NUFC got more points than they did.

Same this season as well.

On everything I have see this season, I can’t believe that Chelsea finished above Newcastle United, 69 points compared to 66 for NUFC. When I have watched them, so many times have fine margins, luck, decisions appear to go for Chelsea. So many times winning matches they had no right to. However, that is the way it goes, the Premier League table after nine and a half months and 38 matches doesn’t lie. It is what it is. Your club have had more than enough time and matches to impact that final outcome.

Actually, to be honest, I think the same with Manchester City as well, though not quite to the extent of what I see with Chelsea. Man City finishing five points above Newcastle and on what I have seen, I think overall Eddie Howe’s side have played better in the Premier League than Pep Guardiola’s team, BUT they (Man City) have got the job done. The Premier League table says Manchester City were better than Newcastle United across nine and a half months of our lives and the table doesn’t lie. Not after 38 matches anyway.

Newcastle United and Aston Villa have both done well this season, however, Eddie Howe’s side have been a little bit better than Aston Villa.

If you don’t believe me, just take a look at the final 2024/25 Premier League table.