Enzo Maresca makes revealing claim about the difference between Chelsea and Newcastle United right now

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Newcastle United and Chelsea are amongst the sides locked in a battle for Champions League qualification.

In fine form right now, Newcastle United are amongst the frontrunners in the race to finish in the Premier League’s top five, which would secure entry into next season’s Champions League.

Eddie Howe continues to recover from pneumonia but assistant manager Jason Tindall has stepped in to ensure the train remains along the right tracks.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	32	23	7	2	74	31	43	76
2	ArsenalArsenal	32	17	12	3	57	27	30	63
3	NewcastleNewcastle	32	18	5	9	61	40	21	59
4	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	32	17	6	9	51	38	13	57
5	Man CityManchester City	32	16	7	9	62	42	20	55
6	ChelseaChelsea	32	15	9	8	56	39	17	54

Indeed, Newcastle sit third in the Premier League table heading into Saturday’s huge game with Aston Villa. Chelsea, who had at one point looked certain for at least a top-five finish, are sixth and five points behind Howe’s side.

The Blues have obviously spent big money, particularly compared to a Newcastle team that has not been significantly improved in a while due to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

With that in mind, beating them to a Champions League berth would be an impressive achievement and Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has made a big admission about the race.

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Enzo Maresca concedes Newcastle have advantage over Chelsea in Champions League race  

Maresca’s promising start to life in the Stamford Bridge dugout appears to have stalled of late.

What had once looked an unlikely title challenge now looks like a scrap to claim that fifth spot in the Premier League.

Chelsea progressed into the Conference League semi-finals on Thursday but ended up limping over the line following a 2-1 home defeat to Polish side Legia Warsaw.

After the game, Maresca admitted the likes of Newcastle and Villa simply have more “confidence” in the battle to finish in the top five.

“For sure tonight was a setback for us. We lost a game,” he said.

“The other clubs like Villa, Newcastle have more confidence around them but things in football can change quick. Sunday [against Fulham], for us, is a final and can be a boost to reach our target.”

How much money could Newcastle earn by qualifying for the Champions League?

It goes without saying that qualifying for Europe’s elite club competition would be huge for the club.

Not only could it help attract a higher profile of player this summer, it would no doubt help Newcastle keep some of their big players constantly linked with a move away from the club happy.

Newcastle believe they are in a position to spend big this summer, but securing a return to the top stage of the continental game would surely help that even further.

In fact, it’s estimated that Newcastle could earn a whopping £17million by reaching the Champions League group stage alone.