Chris Sutton has suggested that Brentford could spoil Newcastle United’s party on Wednesday night.
The Premier League is back, as Newcastle United prepare to turn their attention away from their Carabao Cup success.
It has been some party on Tyneside, culminating with Saturday’s parade and Town Moor celebration. Newcastle United’s celebration was incredible, but now it is back to business.
The Magpies have 10 games to secure their return to the Champions League, starting against Brentford at St James’ Park on Wednesday night. It should be an incredible atmosphere, and Paul Merson has predicted Newcastle to win.
Chris Sutton predicts Newcastle United vs Brentford
That view is shared by Chris Sutton, who has also backed the Magpies to beat Brentford as part of his Premier League predictions for BBC Sport.
“Have Newcastle stopped celebrating yet?” Sutton asked.
“They have been on the lash for a long time after winning the Carabao Cup, culminating – for some of their fans anyway – with their trophy parade on Saturday. I am sure the players have sunk a few too.
“There will be a fantastic atmosphere at this game too, but the danger with that is we know Brentford are capable of spoiling anyone’s party with their attacking threat.
“Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has tried to address that, by speaking about the need to finish the campaign strongly, and this is a great example of where his side cannot afford to take their eye off the ball.
“I suspect they will come out of the traps very quickly against Brentford, lifted by the crowd, and go a couple of goals up before the weekend starts to take its toll on them and the fans too.”
Sutton’s prediction: Newcastle United 3 Brentford 1
What Eddie Howe has said about the rest of the season
It is vital that Eddie Howe directs attention away from winning the Carabao Cup and towards their quest to qualify for the Champions League. While the Wembley win created memories that will last a lifetime, the 2024/25 season is not over.
Alan Shearer hopes Newcastle can build on this momentum, insisting that this feelgood factor can carry them through to the end of the season.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 4 |  ChelseaChelsea | 29 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 53 | 37 | 16 | 49 |
| 5 |  Man CityManchester City | 29 | 14 | 6 | 9 | 55 | 40 | 15 | 48 |
| 6 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 28 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 47 | 38 | 9 | 47 |
| 7 |  BrightonBrighton | 29 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 48 | 42 | 6 | 47 |
| 8 |  FulhamFulham | 29 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 43 | 38 | 5 | 45 |
For the Newcastle United manager, it is about shifting the focus of the players.
After the parade on Saturday, Howe told the Independent: “We are hungry for more, but without getting ahead of ourselves in a sense that we now have 10 huge Premier League games to go back to and try to focus on that. The taste of success leaves you definitely hungry for more days like this.”
There will hopefully be more trophies down the line. Eddie Howe wants more silverware, but the only other accolade he can challenge for this season is Champions League football.
That will open a lot of doors for the club, especially from a financial perspective. To ensure that Newcastle United continue to grow and progress, it is vital that they secure their Champions League return.
With 10 games left to play, Newcastle United’s mission is clear, and their destiny is in their own hands.
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