Arsenal give Newcastle United major Champions League boost - £80m PSR prize up for grabs
English clubs are to be given a fifth Champions League spot in news that Newcastle United will welcome.
Eddie Howe’s men are tussling for a place at UEFA’s top table and currently sit joint fourth in the Premier League. An extra game in hand, however, does put the Magpies in the driving seat.
Newcastle competed in the Champions League last season but were eliminated at the group stage after drawing Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan. Recent changes to the format have opened up further spots for the best-performing nations in European competition while giving the Magpies a favourable path to the knockout stages.
The coefficient system awards points for each win regardless of the UEFA competition’s standard. English dominance across the Champions League, Europa League and has resulted in Premier League clubs being mathematically guaranteed another spot.
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Arsenal’s stunning 3-0 win over Real Madrid confirmed that reality for the 2024-25 campaign. Five English sides remain in European competition, compared to four from Spain.
Italy are third in the coefficient table and have three clubs left fighting for European success. With Germany trailing drastically in fourth, Spain and Italy are now battling for the remaining Champions League spot.
An extra place already sealed will be music to Howe’s ears as he targets Newcastle’s best season since 1927. Silverware is already in the bag and Champions League qualification would, in most people’s eyes, ensure the club’s most successful season for almost a century.
Consecutive home fixtures against Manchester United and Crystal Palace give the Magpies a chance to cement their strong position in the Premier League. Many view Champions League football as vital to keeping talents like Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes on Tyneside.
The riches on offer are invaluable, with Liverpool netting a reported £80million despite being eliminated in the last 16. As well as keeping prized assets, Newcastle will feel confident in luring top talent should they earn Champions League qualification.
Mikel Arteta hails Arsenal hero Declan Rice
Mikel Arteta paid tribute to Declan Rice after his spectacular free-kick double put Real Madrid to the sword. Los Blancos - whose defeat opened the door for Newcastle to secure Champions League qualification through fifth spot - now face an uphill task in the second leg.
“He's been very determined because we have talked in the last few months that we haven't scored a direct free-kick since September 2021, Burnley away, Martin Odegaard,” Arteta said. “So it's been a long time, and to score two goals in 12 minutes of that magnitude of that quality from the same player, a player that has never scored a free-kick before in his career, I mean, what are the odds?
“He's done it tonight. I'm a big believer that the crowd played something with the energy that they put in and it helped us massively in the game.”