A painful 90th-minute defeat to bitter rivals Sunderland at St James’ Park last time out has seen Eddie Howe come under intense scrutiny.
A few days before the derby loss, the Magpies also suffered an embarrassing 7-2 defeat away to Barcelona to exit the Champions League at the last 16 stage 8-3 on aggregate. Only something special will see them remain in the competition next season.
That is because United currently sit 12th in the Premier League table, seven points behind the top five, i.e. the Champions League qualification spots. It is indeed a long shot, but qualifying for the Europa League or Conference League remains in their grasp.
Ahead of visiting Crystal Palace on Sunday, Newcastle are four points behind seventh place. The big question is, will the club achieve its aim of qualifying for Europe, or will another Champions League campaign follow another season, like 2024-25, without it?
Premier League data experts Opta have predicted how the 2025-26 table will finish. Take a look below:
1. Wolverhampton Wanderers (20th) - 25 points
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2. Burnley (19th) - 26 points
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3. West Ham United (18th) -37 points
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4. Tottenham Hotspur (17th) - 38 points
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