Shaka Hislop predicts who will finish in the top five of the Premier League as big Newcastle United claim made

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Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has made his prediction for the top five in the Premier League table.

Champions League qualification is going down to the final game of the season, where only three spots are available for five teams.

Newcastle United’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday ensured that Mikel Arteta’s side will return to Europe’s top competition next season, leaving the Magpies with everything to do at St James’ Park in six days.

Wins for Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest mean the gap to seventh place is just one point, with Manchester City still yet to play their penultimate game of the season against Bournemouth.

Despite the loss, Newcastle are still in a good position to qualify. They will get the job done with a win against Everton on the final day of the season.

Danny Murphy has backed Newcastle to finish in the top five. Now, former Newcastle shot-stopper Shaka Hislop has given his view on whether his old club can still qualify after their recent loss.

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Shaka Hislop predicts Newcastle United’s final Premier League position

Newcastle’s defeat to Arsenal was mildly deflating, but Eddie Howe’s side are still in a good position despite other results going their way. A boost for Newcastle is that Chelsea and Nottingham Forest play each other on the final day, meaning one of the two is likely to miss out on qualification by default.

Paul Merson believes Newcastle are ‘safe’ in the top five due to their final game of the season being against Everton, who have nothing to play for.

Additionally, Everton could be without Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski for the trip to Newcastle after the pair went off injured in their recent win against Southampton.

With the pressure on Newcastle, Hislop has backed his former team to finish in the top five and secure Champions League qualification.

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Speaking on ESPN FC after Newcastle’s loss to Arsenal, Hislop said: “(Everton) have had their day at Goodison, and what a day it was, but if you’re Newcastle you want to be playing for all of the marbles at St James’ Park and that’s what they’re getting.

“A team that aren’t playing for anything else for the rest of the season. So I think Newcastle are in a good spot in that regard.

“Aston Villa, they finish against Manchester United who have the Europa League final to come so we’ll see what condition they’re in for that final game of the season.

“Then it all comes down to Chelsea and Nottingham Forest. I think City get the job done. They’re playing well enough to get into the top five. Of all the games, the biggest concern and probably the most difficult to call is that Chelsea game against Nottingham Forest.”

Newcastle United’s last five results against Everton

On paper, a good result seems easy for Newcastle. Third vs 13th in the table, where the latter cannot go any higher and has a slim chance of dropping down a place.

Many will back Newcastle to get the job done, but Howe must guard against complacency and motivate his players to secure Champions League qualification.

Regarding Newcastle’s last five games against Everton, it makes for fairly grim reading for fans of the Magpies.

Newcastle have failed to beat Everton in their last three Premier League meetings, scoring just once in that timeframe. However, their fourth and fifth most recent games were wins, including a memorable 4-1 win against the Toffees at Goodison Park.

Their last meeting was a 0-0 draw, which saw former Everton player Anthony Gordon’s penalty saved by Jordan Pickford. There is no doubt Pickford will be motivated for the game at St James’ Park as a former Sunderland player who would love to rain on Newcastle’s parade.