Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher disagree over where Newcastle will finish just one game into this season

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Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher are not aligned on where Newcastle United will finish in the Premier League this season.

The Magpies have got one point on the board after the opening weekend, drawing 0-0 with Aston Villa.

It was a frustrating game for Newcastle United, who really should have won. It would have been a different story had Alexander Isak played, as he continues to sit at home amid speculation over his future.

But Eddie Howe’s side did play well at Villa Park, giving Newcastle fans plenty of cause for optimism.

The aim will be to qualify for Europe again, ideally the Champions League. However, Gary Neville does not see that happening.

Gary Neville does not think Newcastle United will finish in the top five

During Sky Sports Monday Night Football, Neville and Carragher gave their predictions for the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Neville had Newcastle finishing in sixth, while Carragher had them slightly higher in fifth.

Neither pundit had the Magpies breaking into the top four, with Neville explaining why he thinks Manchester United are more likely to do that.

“Newcastle and Villa, I really liked last season, I just feel the PSR is killing them a bit in terms of being able to invest freely,” he said.

“I think they’ll have a good season. I think they’ll do okay. I don’t think they’ll have that spark to get into fifth and into the Champions League and into fourth.

“I think [Man] United are the one team that can break into that group, more than Newcastle, Spurs and Villa because they haven’t got European football. I do think it will be a big advantage to [Man] United.”

After backing Newcastle to finish fifth, Carragher weighed in on their European commitments.

He said: “You don’t drop into the Europa League anymore if you don’t make the cut [in the Champions League]. I’m not sure Newcastle and Spurs will have too much European football after Christmas.”

Will fifth place qualify for the Champions League?

Newcastle United finished fifth in the Premier League last season, and that was good enough for them to qualify for the Champions League.

That is because the Premier League were awarded an extra slot due to English clubs performing well in European competitions.

However, there are no guarantees that the Premier League will be afforded that luxury again. It will be slightly down to Newcastle themselves, as a strong showing in the Champions League will make it more likely that the Premier League gets an extra place.

For now, only the top four teams will qualify. Therefore, neither Neville nor Carragher are expecting the Magpies to reach the Champions League for a second season in a row.

But Carragher does at least give Newcastle a chance if fifth place comes into play. Whether or not it does will not become clear until later in the season.