Stats experts deliver Champions League verdict as Newcastle United and Man City chase top five place

Newcastle United moved back into third place in the Premier League table with a dominant display in Saturday’s home win against struggling Ipswich Town.

A first-half penalty from top goalscorer Alexander Isak and second-half efforts from Dan Burn and Will Osula ensured Eddie Howe enjoyed a successful return to the dugout and condemned the Tractor Boys to an immediate return to the Championship. More importantly, it also raised hopes the Magpies could return for another crack at the Champions League after facing AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain in the group stage of last season’s competition.

However, there are several other clubs still in the mix for a top five place and the race for a spot at European football’s top table is intensifying as the Premier League season rapidly approaches its conclusion. For Newcastle, away days at Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal and home clashes with Chelsea and Everton remain on the agenda as they look to round off a historic season that saw Howe’s men end the 70-year wait for domestic silverware by qualifying for the Champions League for the fourth time in the club’s history.

But where are Newcastle predicted the finish in the Premier League table once the season comes to a close next month and which five clubs will represent England in next season’s Champions League? We take a look at a table put together by the stats experts at Opta.

Opta’s predicted final Premier League table

20th: Southampton (14 points) 19th: Leicester City (22 points) 18th: Ipswich Town (25 points) 17th: West Ham United (41 points) 16th: Tottenham Hotspur (42 points) 15th: Everton (44 points) 14th: Manchester United (44 points) 13th: Wolverhampton Wanderers (46 points) 12th: Crystal Palace (50 points) 11th: Brentford (53 points) 10th: Bournemouth (55 points) 9th: Brighton and Hove Albion (56 points) 8th: Fulham (56 points) 7th: Aston Villa (64 points) 6th: Chelsea (65 points) 5th: Newcastle United (68 points) 4th: Nottingham Forest (68 points) 3rd: Manchester City (69 points) 2nd: Arsenal (74 points) 1st: Liverpool (90 points)

What did Eddie Howe say about Newcastle United’s Champions League hopes after Saturday’s win against Ipswich Town?

He told BBC Match of the Day: "I thought Ipswich set up really well. They made it difficult for us and got a lot of bodies behind the ball. It was going to be that kind of game where we had to be patient. Of course, having the extra man helped and it was that first goal that was key for us. We played really well in the second half. It (the race for the top five) will go down to the wire. The important thing today was that we bounced back from last week. We have been very consistent and now we have four huge games."

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