Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe
Here we go then, the final quarter of the Premier League season is almost upon us, and for Newcastle United there is one huge prize on offer. After all the Carabao Cup celebrations have died down, Eddie Howe's side are focused on the task of finishing in the Premier League top five - and thereby earning a place in next season's Champions League.
We've all seen what winning silverware means to everyone associated with the club, and those scenes at Wembley will live long in the memory. But the reality is that qualifying for the Champions League will mean a whole lot more for United's long-term future.
The financial rewards are huge, and the prestige that comes with it can make a crucial difference when it comes to identifying - and signing - summer transfer targets. What's more, it's one hell of a bargaining tool when it comes to sitting down with Alexander Isak and discussing a new contract.
The race will be intense, but Newcastle can be in the box seat if they play their cards right. They have a game in hand over their rivals, but must ensure that counts for something by keeping pace in the coming weeks. As it stands, United would go fourth, ahead of Chelsea and Man City, if they win that extra game - against Palace at home next month - but only if they match their results in the meantime.
So how do the fixtures compare? On the face of it, Newcastle have a strong hand. For starters, six of their remaining ten games are at home, while they only face Arsenal, Brighton and Villa away from their fellow Champions League contenders. While they have slipped up against less fancied teams before, they must be considered favourites for games against Leicester, Ipswich, Manchester United and Everton, so the odds appear to be in Howe's favour.
Of their more immediate rivals, Chelsea will be well aware of a difficult final few fixtures. Their final quartet includes Man United, Liverpool, Newcastle at St James' and Forest, but Man City must face contenders Villa, Bournemouth and Fulham in an otherwise stress-free run-in.
Presuming Liverpool and Arsenal are out of reach, at least one of the sides ahead of Newcastle have to give way, but while Forest will be concerned about Chris Wood's injury picked up on international duty for New Zealand, they will be confident over ther fixtures. They have to go to Villa and Tottenham and also face Chelsea and Man United at home, but there's little to suggest concern for Nuno and Co.
Of the chasing pack, Fulham may have their work cut out, given they still have to face Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City, while Aston Villa must juggle their Champions League games with matches against both Manchester sides, Newcastle, Fulham and Bournemouth.
Those proverbial six-pointers can play into United's hands, especially if the games are drawn, such as when Man City drew with Brighton before the international break. Bournemouth play Fulham, Arsenal, Man City and Villa - and how Newcastle would love those games to end in a point apiece.
Of course, it will only matter if Newcastle can emulate the form that saw them sweep aside Liverpool at Wembley, We all - the fans, Eddie Howe and his staff and the players themselves - know what they're capable of. Now it's time to deliver. See below for the final Premier League games of Newcastle's Champions League rivals.