Alan Shearer: This is what it will take for Newcastle to secure Champions League football
After Nottingham Forest's 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace last night, Newcastle and all four of our top-five rivals have all played 35 games, leaving just three weekends to decide the Champions League places for 2024/25.
It wasn't the best weekend for Newcastle, as wins for Man City, Aston Villa and Chelsea came either side of our late point at Brighton.
That 1-1 draw at the AMEX could be vital in the end, but it really does feel like Sunday's clash with Chelsea will go a long way to deciding whether or not we finish in the top five.
Nerves are building on Tyneside ahead of such a six-pointer, but Alan Shearer has offered a glass-half-full verdict on our run-in.
Shearer: I wouldn't change Newcastle's next three
Alan Shearer believes Newcastle's home advantage in two of our final three games could be key to our top-five hopes, also believing Arsenal away isn't the worst fixture on current form.
Speaking on the Rest Is Football Podcast, our former No.9 is 'pretty confident' we'll beat both Chelsea and Everton, feeling certain that six points 'will do it' based on the fact one of (or both) Chelsea or Nottingham Forest will drop points when they meet on the final day.
He said: “I watched the Toon take a point off Brighton which I would have snapped your hands off beforehand because our record is ****. Take a point, get the hell out of there and play Chelsea at home. It was a fair result.
“I wouldn’t change Newcastle’s run-in. They have Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton. Two home games. I would be hopeful and pretty confident they can win those two home games and maybe nick a point against an Arsenal that are not at it.
“They’re not as good as they have been or should be because of the situation in the Champions League. Six points will do it because we’ve got to play Chelsea and they’ve got to play Forest on the last day of the season. I think six points will be enough for Newcastle.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SozhTFOK0E&ab_channel=TheRestIsFootball
Latest standings and remaining fixtures
It'll be three teams from five who qualify for the Champions League, but who does each team have left to play and what are the current standings?
- 3rd - Man City – 64pts (+24)
- 4th - Newcastle – 63pts (+21)
- 5th - Chelsea – 63pts (+21)
- 6th - Nottingham Forest – 61pts (+12)
- 7th - Aston Villa – 60pts (+6)
Newcastle – Chelsea (H), Arsenal (A), Everton (H)
Chelsea – Newcastle (A), Man Utd (H), Nottingham Forest (A)
Nottingham Forest – Leicester (H), West Ham (A), Chelsea (H)
Aston Villa – Bournemouth (A), Tottenham (H), Man Utd (A)
Man City – Southampton (A), Bournemouth (H), Fulham (A)
Our final prediction, based on Newcastle picking up seven points from our final three games, is as follows:
- 3rd - Man City – 73pts (three wins)
- 4th - Newcastle – 70 pts (two wins, one draw)
- 5th - Chelsea – 69pts (two wins, one defeat)
- 6th - Aston Villa - 67pts (two wins, one draw)
- 7th - Nottingham Forest - 65pts (one win, one draw, one defeat)
How do you see it panning out over the final three gameweeks of the season?
