Newcastle United's next five fixtures compared to Aston Villa and other Champions League rivals
How do Newcastle United’s next five games compare to their rivals for a place in next season’s Champions League?
Newcastle United head into the final eight games of a history-making season looking to round off a memorable year by claiming a Champions League place.
As it stands ahead of the weekend fixtures, the Magpies are sat in fifth place in the Premier League table after securing successive wins against West Ham United, Brentford and Leicester City - and they also have the benefit of holding a game in hand on all of their key rivals for a spot amongst the elite of European competition. There was a significant boost for Eddie Howe’s side in midweek after Arsenal’s 3-0 win in their first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie with La Liga giants Real Madrid ensured England’s co-efficient was improved sufficiently to land the Premier League a fifth spot in the competition next season.
Had it not been for an illness that has meant Howe was unable to oversee his usual pre-match press conference duties ahead of Sunday’s home clash with Manchester United, the Magpies boss would surely have warned there is plenty of work to do before his side can celebrate a second shot at European football’s elite - and there is good reason for exercising some caution.
Newcastle’s run-in to the end of the season will see Howe and his players face a number of potentially decisive fixtures in the race for a Champions League spot - but how do their fixtures compare to their rivals for a top five spot?
What have Newcastle said about challenging for a place in the Champions League?
Speaking on Friday in a pre-match press conference, Magpies assistant manager Jason Tindall said: "Trying to get three points in the Premier League is incredibly difficult and you have to be at your best and at the top of your game. If you're not, and we've experienced ourselves, then you'll get punished. With eight games to go, there are a lot of teams fighting for the same as what we are. All we can control is our own performances and what we do. The most important thing is that we approach every game as we have done all season and give the best account of ourselves. Hopefully, that will be enough to achieve our end goal."
"We're in a position that we would have wanted to be in with eight games remaining. There are a lot of teams fighting for those positions. "We've got a busy week coming up but the most important thing is the Man United game and making sure we prepare right for that. If we can deliver a performance and get the result we want, it takes us one step closer to where we want to get to."
How do Newcastle’s next five fixture compare to their rivals for a Champions League place?
3rd: Nottingham Forest - 57 points
Everton (h), Tottenham Hotspur (a), Brentford (h), Crystal Palace (a), Leicester City (h) Average league position of next five opponents: 14.2
4th: Chelsea - 53 points
Ipswich Town (h), Fulham (a), Everton (h), Liverpool (h), Newcastle United (a) Average league position of next five opponents: 9.4
5th: Newcastle United - 53 points
Manchester United (h), Crystal Palace (h), Aston Villa (a), Ipswich Town (h), Brighton and Hove Albion (a) Average league position of next five opponents: 11.6
6th: Manchester City - 52 points
Crystal Palace (h), Everton (a), Aston Villa (h), Wolverhampton Wanderers (h), Southampton (a) Average league position of next five opponents: 14.0
7th: Aston Villa - 51 points
Southampton (a), Newcastle United (h), Manchester City (a), Fulham (h), Bournemouth (a) Average league position of next five opponents: 9.8
8th: Fulham - 48 points
Bournemouth (a), Chelsea (h), Southampton (a), Aston Villa (a), Everton (h) Average league position of next five opponents: 11.2
9th: Brighton and Hove Albion - 47 points
Leicester City (h), Brentford (a), West Ham United (h), Newcastle United (h), Wolverhampton Wanderers (a) Average league position of next five opponents: 13.8
10th: Bournemouth - 45 points
Fulham (h), Crystal Palace (a), Manchester United (h), Arsenal (a), Aston Villa (h) Average league position of next five opponents: 8.2
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