How ironic if Newcastle United overtake Tottenham and then this happens…
Newcastle United outclassed Tottenham on Saturday.
Both on the pitch and in the respective dugouts, as the excellent Eddie Howe schooled Ange Postecoglou.
Tottenham lucky to get away with a four goal hiding, as Newcastle could and should have scored more.
What that performance and result also did, was open up the intriguing possibility of Newcastle still catching and overtaking Tottenham, despite only six games each remaining and ten points between the two teams.
It is still heavily odds against that happening BUT with the respective fixture schedules it isn’t impossible.
Tottenham still have to play all of the top three who are going for the title and massive local rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Whilst Newcastle play four of the bottom seven and the other two matches are tenth placed Brighton at St James’ Park and Man U at Old Trafford, who NUFC have defeated the last three times the two teams have met.
Anyway, imagine how ironic, if the unthinkable happened.
If Newcastle United did overtake Tottenham BUT then fifth place didn’t give Champions League football!!!
With the Premier League having been one of the two leagues in five of the last six seasons, in terms of the best collective results in European competition, it had been widely assumed that this season an English club finishing fifth would end up in the Champions League next season.
However, that is in grave danger now.
Before Tuesday night’s Champions League matches, this is how the coefficients of the top three countries / leagues looked:
Italy, 18.428
Germany, 16.785
England, 16.750
Italy / Serie A looking nailed on for one of the spots and the other place appearing to be between England and Germany.
It was a very bad Tuesday night for La Liga as Barcelona and Atletico Madrid both went out of the Champions League and surely ended any chance of Spain coming with a late run and bothering these top three, when it comes to getting one of the two extra CL places next season.
However, with Borussia Dortmund winning against Atletico Madrid and progressing to the semis, this has put massive extra pressure on the English clubs still in Europe this season, if they are to deliver the extra Champions League place.
The top three coefficients now showing on Wednesday:
Italy, 18.428
Germany, 17.214
England, 16.750
Tonight, Man City will need to win and get past Real Madrid (3-3 in the first leg), whilst even more important in terms of the above coefficients, is Arsenal needing to get a victory away in Germany, having drawn against Bayern Munich last week in London.
BBC Sport report – 17 April 2024:
‘Borussia Dortmund’s magnificent victory against Atletico Madrid was great news for on-loan Manchester United star Jadon Sancho and Marcel Sabitzer, who left Old Trafford after spending the second half of last season on loan with Erik ten Hag’s side.
However, it was bad news for England’s chances of a fifth Champions League place next term.
Borussia Dortmund gained points for their match victory and a bonus for reaching the semi-final.
Those three co-efficient points are then divided by seven – the number of German teams who played in Europe this season – and added to their total.
It takes Germany onto 17.214, still trailing Italy, who have 18.428, but crucially, clear of England, who have 16.750.
The battle is not over yet but England could really do with Arsenal knocking out Bayern Munich tonight or West Ham reaching the Europa League semi-finals at the expense of Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday.’
Newcastle United matches dates and times now all confirmed for the rest of the season:
Wednesday 24 April 2024 – Crystal Palace v Newcastle (8pm)
Saturday 27 April 2024 – Newcastle v Sheff Utd (3pm)
Saturday 4 May 2024 – Burnley v Newcastle (3pm)
Saturday 11 May 2024 – Newcastle v Brighton (3pm)
Wednesday 15 May 2024 – Man U v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports
Sunday 19 May 2024 – Brentford v Newcastle (4pm)
(The final day of the season live TV matches will be selected closer to the day but all 10 PL games will be same time same day)
Wednesday 22 May 2024 – Tottenham v Newcastle (at MCG – Melbourne Cricket Ground)
Friday 24 May 2024 – A-League All Stars team v Newcastle (at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne)
