Newcastle United are aiming to finish in the Champions League spots at the end of the season, but have to endure a tough run-in to do so.
The Magpies have seven games left in the Premier League season, including their game in hand against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.
Currently fourth in the table, Newcastle United can leapfrog an out-of-sorts Nottingham Forest into third and give themselves a huge boost in their attempt to return to Europe’s top competition.
Newcastle’s win against Manchester United was a clear sign that Eddie Howe’s players are well up for the fight, overcoming minor adversity with a stunning second-half performance to win 4-1.
Jamie Carragher believes Newcastle will finish in the top five, despite still having to play the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal in the run-in. Les Ferdinand agreed with Carragher, claiming their good run of form will give them enough confidence to get the job done.
After his initial prediction, Carragher has made a fresh claim about Newcastle’s final league position, which fans will love.
Jamie Carragher doubles down on Newcastle’s Premier League position
The Liverpool legend has been very complimentary of the Magpies in recent weeks. Carragher praised Newcastle for their Carabao Cup win in March, claiming they ‘battered’ Liverpool.
More recently, Carragher called Jacob Murphy ‘fantastic‘ after bagging a brace in the Magpies’ 3-0 win against Leicester City.
Speaking on Sky Sports Monday Night Football, Carragher was asked about whether Newcastle are a ‘shoo-in’ for the top five this season.
“I think it’s looking like that, yeah,” Carragher said.
“They’re on a great run of form, playing as well as anybody in the country right now.”
“I think it’s almost a guarantee that they get top five. They’ve got a game in hand against Crystal Palace at home midweek. If they win that, it puts them in a great position.”
“They’ll have a little eye on Arsenal in 2nd position. If Arsenal certainly continue to the semi-finals of the Champions League, they’ll think ‘They’re well within our sights’, let’s put it that way anyway.”
“They’re having a brilliant end to the season, they’ll want to keep that going.”
A concern for Newcastle a few games ago was their goal difference; they were a fair way behind the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, but seven goals in their last two games have proven vital for them.
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Newcastle have one eye on Premier League clash in May
While assistant manager Jason Tindall is rallying the troops for Newcastle’s game on Wednesday, there is no doubt fans will be looking further down the fixture list at the difficult games in May.
Newcastle play Chelsea on May 10th/11th before a trip to the Emirates Stadium a week later. If the Magpies keep their form up, that game could be huge for their final Premier League position.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 32 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 57 | 27 | 30 | 63 |
| 3 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 32 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 51 | 38 | 13 | 57 |
| 4 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 31 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 56 | 40 | 16 | 56 |
| 5 |  Man CityManchester City | 32 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 62 | 42 | 20 | 55 |
| 6 |  ChelseaChelsea | 32 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 56 | 39 | 17 | 54 |
Arsenal have drawn their last two games, allowing the Magpies to claw their way towards the Gunners. A win on Wednesday would mean Newcastle are just five points off Arsenal in second with six games to go.
It will be an incredibly difficult game for Newcastle. Going to the Emirates has historically been difficult for the Magpies and Eddie Howe, with the 47-year-old only just getting his first win there in January.
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