Newcastle United face a major test of their European credentials over the next two weeks as they face a challenging trio of Premier League fixtures.
Eddie Howe’s men slipped to ninth place in the Premier League table on Monday night when former Magpies striker Chris Wood scored the only goal of Nottingham Forest’s narrow home win against struggling Crystal Palace.
That came just over 48 hours after Newcastle had been condemned to a rare home defeat by Brighton and Hove Albion as Danny Welbeck scored the only goal to help the Seagulls become the first side since Manchester City in January to secure all three points from a trip to Tyneside.
Looking ahead, Howe and his players will face a tough test in their bid to bounce back as they visit Chelsea on Sunday afternoon before hosting title contenders Arsenal six days later. A trip to in-form Forest lies in wait on the following weekend as the Magpies face three sides that have impressed throughout the early months of the season.
But where are Newcastle predicted to finish in the Premier League this season? We take a look at a predicted table pieced together by stats experts OPTA.
