· 7 May 2025, 21:00
**The race for the Champions League spots is heating up with just three more games to go. It could barely be much tighter with Newcastle United and Chelsea on the same points and same goal difference heading into their clash on Sunday at St James' Park.**
There are four places up for grabs and six teams fighting for one of those spots and not a single team can truly feel like they've got anything sewn up yet.
Newcastle have to play Chelsea and Arsenal. Arsenal have Liverpool and Newcastle. Chelsea has Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. Neither Manchester City nor Aston Villa have any of their fellow chasers to worry about, with City probably boasting the easiest run-in.
However, results lately haven't exactly gone how you'd expect for anybody, which adds to the excitement if you're a neutral, and the stress if you follow one of the six.
Simon Jordan says Newcastle are 'at it' right now
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Looking ahead to the weekend's fixture, TalkSPORT's Simon Jordan has issued a timely warning to Chelsea about Newcastle's form.
> “Chelsea have got a huge game on the weekend because Newcastle are at it.“A couple of little wobbles but most of the time they’re at it. Eddie Howe’s back in the dugout, they’ve got an opportunity to cement what is going to be a very significant season for them by cementing a Champions League spot.
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> “So, if Chelsea come out of that game with something, then I think Chelsea are in really good nick.”
How it looks
It's going to be another tough one to call on Sunday
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Chelsea aren't exactly looking too bad themselves, having just beaten Liverpool 3-1 at the weekend.
Granted, Arne Slot put out a much-changed team, but Chelsea will still have taken enough good vibes away from that result to give them confidence going into Sunday's 12pm kick-off at St James' Park.
Newcastle weren't at their best against Brighton on Sunday (but when are they ever?), however, Newcastle have the home advantage on Sunday, and the Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall dream team is reunited after Tindall served his one-match touchline ban at Brighton.