Newcastle United must beat Everton in their final game of the Premier League season to guarantee Champions League qualification.
Eddie Howe’s side headed to North London knowing a victory would all-but guarantee a top five finish, however they fell narrowly short with Declan Rice’s second-half strike the difference.
The Magpies now host Everton at St James’ Park on Sunday and the task remains very much the same. Win and they’ll be in next season’s Champions League. Anything less means they have to rely on results elsewhere.
As it stands, Newcastle are third in the Premier League table but only on goal difference with fourth-place Chelsea and fifth-place Aston Villa also on 66 points.
Sixth-place Manchester City are a point behind but will move above those clubs if they beat AFC Bournemouth in their game in-hand on Tuesday night. Seventh place Nottingham Forest are too on 65 points.
Chelsea and Forest go head-to-head at the City Ground on the final day, Aston Villa go to Manchester United and Man City visit Fulham.
Paul Merson’s Newcastle United U-turn?
But former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson is confident Newcastle will get the job done against Everton, though he wasn’t exactly saying that before predicting Howe’s men to lose 3-1 at the Emirates.
In his Sports Keeda column last week, Merson said losing to the Gunners would put the Magpies in a “tricky position” because, in his opinion, they have the toughest final game out of all the chasing teams.
However, when discussing their prospects of qualifying on Sky Sports on Sunday, Merson stated that Howe’s side were “safe” but only because 13th place Everton have little to play for. Instead, the 57-year-old expressed his fears about Man City.
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Merson said: “Well, you look at that, Chelsea are fourth at the moment. If they get beat by Nottingham Forest, they're back in the Europa Conference. Well, they'll be in the Europa if they win, but they could end up seventh in the league. Do you know what I mean?
“I think I'd have to go with Newcastle safe. And I only say that because Everton have not got a lot to play for. My worry is Man City. I really do.
“The last two games they've failed to score in the last two. They’ve got Bournemouth coming up, Bournemouth's a dangerous game, If they don't get anything out of this Bournemouth game, this is the one they need to get a point out. Because if they get a point out of this, it's back in their hands again.
“If they lose, it's out of their hands. And that's all you can ask for on the last day of the season is for it to be in your hands. And at the moment, it's only in Newcastle, Chelsea's and Man City's hands as we talk.”
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