Sandro Tonali scored within 90 seconds, then Bruno Guimaraes put the icing on the cake as the clock ticked over to added time to ensure it was Newcastle, not Chelsea, who has one foot in the top five for next season, which comes with the healthy reward of Champions League football and untold riches in the new format.
It’s the business end of the season and United are again in a battle - for the third season in a row - to decide their European fate.
Two years ago it was a Champions League battle, with a return to the competition for the first time in two decades on the line. As we all know it had a happy ending. Last season was the opposite. After some top flight struggles the Magpies looked like they’d managed to squeeze into the UEFA Conference League for this season, only for Manchester United to claim a Europa League spot, despite finishing outside the top seven, thanks to their FA Cup triumph. The Magpies ended empty-handed, but every cloud, given the freedom to compete - and win - the Carabao Cup this campaign.
This season, Newcastle already have a Euro spot in the bag, but it’s just a case of which competition they’ll grace? Will it be a top five Champions League spot and the untold riches and transformation the competition would undoubtedly bring? Will it be another dalliance with the Europa League, not tackled since the days of Alan Pardew & Co? Or will it be the Conference League this time? Although very winnable, that’s the wooden spoon few, particularly the bean counters, want at St James’ Park next season.
Heading into the penultimate weekend of the top flight campaign, the Magpies are THIRD in the Premier League table, but could drop down by the next time they play - next Sunday at Arsenal. So we asked Grok, X’s AI tool, where each of the 20 Premier League teams would finish this season, with just three games left to play. And here’s where it thinks the Magpies will end their campaign.
1. Southampton (20th) - 12 points
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2. Leicester City (19th) - 22 points
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3. Ipswich Town (18th) - 25 points
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4. West Ham (17th) - 41 points
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