Jamie Carragher has shared his predictions for how the Premier League top five will finish after a near-perfect weekend of results for Newcastle United.
The Magpies moved into the fifth and final Champions League qualification spot after a comfortable 3-0 victory over Leicester City on Monday night, moving a point ahead of Manchester City and level with Chelsea.
Newcastle still have a game in hand on the rest of the top half and are just four points behind Nottingham Forest in third. Aston Villa, who beat Forest 2-1 on Saturday, are currently two points short of our total, setting up an important trip to Villa Park a week on Saturday.
Carragher predicts top five
Newcastle United will finish in the Champions League spots alongside Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Manchester City, according to Reds legend Jamie Carragher.
Carragher predicted that Chelsea and Aston Villa would fall short of a finish in the top five , and seemed most confident on Newcastle’s hopes when speaking on Monday Night Football last night:
“Looking at the fixtures, Newcastle United have still got a game in hand against Crystal Palace [on Wednesday 16 April], so a game you would expect them, on paper, to win.
“I think Nottingham Forest will just do it. I think Chelsea will miss out because they have got the toughest fixtures. I think Newcastle United will make it and Manchester City will just make it as well.
“I look at Manchester City’s last four fixtures and you’d expect them to win all four of them, despite the troubles they have had this season.
“I think Aston Villa will miss out. So for me, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Manchester City will make it.”
Remaining fixtures in UCL race
Four wins on the spin for Newcastle, one of those at Wembley, have boosted the mood on Tyneside immensely ahead of a run-in where every game is a cup final.
If this is the way to Barcelona, or at least to secure UCL football, then we’re going to need to keep up our form until the final day on May 26th.
We still have to play three of the top six, or rather they still have to play us! Villa will be out for retribution after we cruised to a 3-0 victory at St. James Park earlier in the season, although they have a lot on their plate with PSG over two legs in the Champions League and an FA Cup semi-final against Man City also on the horizon.
Arsenal too will be looking to make amends after a series of Eddie Howel masterclasses has seen us beat Mikel Arteta’s side on three occasions this season in league and cup.
Win our next two at home, including our game in hand against Crystal Palace, and we gain plenty of control ahead of the final six games.
Nottingham Forest host Chelsea on the final day in what could be the decider for both clubs, so it may play into our hands if both need a result as we take on Everton on the final weekend of 2024/25 action.
