Shay Given says who will make the Champions League out of his old clubs Newcastle, Man City and Aston Villa

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Newcastle United made it six wins in a row after beating Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

The Magpies look unstoppable at the moment, even without Eddie Howe at the helm. Jason Tindall has done a spectacular job managing Newcastle United in Howe’s absence, with the Magpies scoring nine goals in the last two games.

Newcastle’s win against Crystal Palace moves them up to third in the Premier League, establishing a healthy gap to Chelsea in sixth place.

Champions League is the goal for Newcastle. The win on Wednesday night moved them one step closer to securing qualification. By no means is the run-in easy, however. Newcastle still have to play the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal before the end of the season in games which will have huge implications on final Premier League standings.

Les Ferdinand thinks Newcastle can make the Champions League. He said that after the win against Manchester United last Sunday.

Now, former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given has weighed in on whether his old team can qualify for the Champions League ahead of his other former clubs Aston Villa and Manchester City.

Shay Given predicts Champions League spots

Given was worried for Newcastle in 2024 while they were enduring a poor run of form. Although he did not go so far as to say that he should be sacked, he pondered how long Howe had left in the role.

Fast forward to April 2025, and the scene at Newcastle has changed dramatically, third in the table, the Carabao Cup win and the chance to finish second for the first time since 1997.

Roy Keane thinks Newcastle are good enough for the Champions League, and Given has completely agreed with him.

“I hope Newcastle, my team (qualify for Champions League) and I do think Man City, two of my older teams, will definitely be in,” Given told Premier League productions.

“The other one I think has got the best chance is Aston Villa. Not because it’s three of my old teams! I’ve said for probably the last six or seven weeks that I think Nottingham Forest might drop out, and I think Forest fans will be shouting to the TV because they’ve just gone through a bit of a tricky patch.

“We talk about Newcastle timing their run (of good form) brilliantly. They’re timing it in the opposite. They’re really having a poor run at the minute. I mean, to lose to Everton last week was a big blow, especially being at home.

“If I had to say three out of that, I would go Newcastle, City and Aston Villa.”

• READ MORE – Bruno Guimaraes thought Newcastle United defender was ‘brilliant’ once again vs Crystal Palace

Newcastle United face tough Aston Villa test in Champions League race

While Newcastle are enjoying a fantastic run of form, they are now preparing to go up against their toughest test since the Carabao Cup final.

Newcastle play Aston Villa away from home on Saturday, a game which could have big implications on the final Champions League spots this season.

The Magpies are not home and dry in third by any means, they could still slip out of the top five with 18 points still up for grabs.

Alan Pardew warned Newcastle about Villa’s home form, saying it will be tough and the side he used to manage must be wary that it is a game they could lose.

Unai Emery’s side has only lost once at home this season, so Tindall has an incredibly tough task ahead of him.