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Newcastle United will love Gary Neville's Champions League prediction - Chelsea won't

The race for Champions League qualification goes down to the final day of the 2024-25 Premier League season.

Five teams are battling it out for the remaining three qualification places, with just one point separating third and seventh.

Manchester City are sixth with 65 points but can move above the Magpies if they win their game in-hand against AFC Bournemouth on Tuesday, while Nottingham Forest also sit on the same number of points.

Eddie Howe’s side host Everton at St James’ Park on the final day knowing a win will guarantee a top-five finish. Anything less means they will be relying on results elsewhere.

Chelsea make the visit to Forest, City are away to Fulham and Aston Villa go to Manchester United.

Gary Neville predicts Premier League top five

Neville said: “Really important win for Forest [vs West Ham], still they're up against it a little bit, I mean they've got a big game next weekend.

“Obviously City have got two games difficult games, Bournemouth are a tasty opponent and City will be flat after being lost in a cup final so they've got to get themselves up properly for Tuesday night and finish the job off and then they've got Fulham away so there's a lot to play for in this next week and it'll be interesting

“A lot to play for, a lot of money at stake next week including in the Europa League, but also obviously in the Premier League with who's going to get those places at the moment.

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“If you said that I had to select, I think City will just get in there I think Newcastle will get in there. I think Villa might just sneak in I think Nottingham Forest might just hamper Chelsea next weekend next Sunday and that Villa could win at Old Trafford. I mean everyone's beating United at this moment in time.”

Eddie Howe on Newcastle United’s Champions League qualification bid

When asked if he could believe how tight the race for Champions League qualification was, Howe said after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal: “Yes, I can. I think the prize is so big that everyone's fighting as much as they can for it.

“We've never got ahead of ourselves. We've never felt that we were there or the job was done. I know the players feel the same way, so we've been working incredibly hard to try and get the job done.

“Now it's going to go to the end, to the last game, and who knows what twists and turns are there for everybody. All we can do is our best and we gave our best today.

“That's why there's no criticism of the players. They've given so much this year and now we need one more big effort in this last match.”

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