Another round of Premier League fixtures have passed, and Newcastle United have come out of it in a really positive place.
The win over Crystal Palace pushed Newcastle up to ninth place in the Premier League table, and the Magpies are now just two points off fifth-placed Chelsea heading into the midweek fixtures.
How many points will Newcastle get here?
Surely anything less than 12 points would be unacceptable… 👀
Alan Shearer now thinks Newcastle can secure European football again for next season, and with plenty of the season still to go, it’s more than doable.
While Eddie Howe appears to be secure in his position, other managers have suffered this week with both Ruben Amorim and Enzo Maresca leaving Man United and Chelsea respectively. Judging by the latest predictions for the final league table, that could have a big say in Newcastle’s fate.
Newcastle up to sixth in projected Premier League table
As per Opta’s supercomputer projection for the rest of the season, Newcastle have now been bumped up to sixth place, leapfrogging United in the wake of Amorim’s exit and their draw against Leeds United.
If we compare this to last week’s prediction for Newcastle, the Magpies have not only moved up one spot but have also gained another 1.5 expected points (xPts). That closes the gap on fifth place Chelsea, who are still on just over 59 xPts.
Interestingly, Newcastle’s odds of securing Champions League football have increased substantially, too. Before the Palace game, they were sitting at 4.80% but that’s now jumped to 9.42% after the win at the weekend.
While that’s still some way behind Chelsea’s 22.06% odds, it’s nice to see the numbers going in the right direction finally.
Was Eddie Howe just being honest here or are you reading something deeper into the quote?
Stability could be key to Newcastle’s Champions League hopes
It’s worth noting that the two clubs that have had the most chaotic week of the season, Man United and Chelsea, are the ones Newcastle will be looking to overtake in order to claim Champions League football.
With managerial uncertainty and seemingly difficult situations behind the scenes at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, the positive relationship between Eddie Howe and PIF looks increasingly conducive to success right now.
It’s said Howe is absolutely secure in his job at Newcastle, and it’s that stability and support that could well end up being the deciding factor in which team lands a top five spot this season.
Both United and Chelsea will need to restart under a new manager soon. Newcastle don’t have that problem, and can generate momentum from here on out.
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