· 23 May 2025, 19:30
**Newcastle United are just one more win away from confirming their place in next season's Champions League. The problem is they have only one more game in which to get that win.**
While the Magpies could still qualify for the Champions League if they don't win on Sunday, nobody wants to have to rely on other teams doing us a favour, especially not Eddie Howe.
The Newcastle boss told reporters this morning in his press conference, "I don't think we can look for any favours from anybody". We shouldn't, but nor should we have to.
Newcastle are in the prime spot to take one of the remaining two places up for grabs after Manchester City practically assured themselves of a place in next season's competition by beating Bournemouth on Tuesday. Only a Man City defeat and wins for Newcastle, Chelsea and Aston Villa would dislodge them from the top five - it's doable, but unlikely.
Eddie Howe is fully focused on the Champions League and is not thinking about the Europa League
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finishing sixth, as City would under those unlikely circumstances, would be enough to secure Europa League football, and given that two of the worst teams in the Premier League this season just contested the final of that competition, Newcastle would definitely feel they could win that tournament should that be where they end up. However, Eddie Howe will not entertain that idea until it happens, instead remaining fully focused on the Champions League.
> “No, we'll go for the highest that we can. That's always been my philosophy. We'll go for the top and see where we can go. If that's not to be, then we'll try and fall in line and try and get the best competition that we can.
>
> “But the Champions League is our aim. No disrespect to any other competition, but that's where we want to be.”
Whatever happens, this has been a phenomenal season
---------------------------------------------------
Howe went on to say that it would feel like a 'huge disappointment' if his side were to miss out on the Champions League after fighting hard for most of the season to get there.
He did admit that it wasn't _all_ season given the rocky start, and it's that rocky start that we have to keep in mind should we fall at he final hurdle.
Newcastle have done remarkably well to get themselves to this point when you consider that we were in 12th position in December. Whatever happens, we can look back at this being a phenomenal season for Newcastle United.