Revealed! How many points Newcastle United need to seal Champions League qualification

The race for European places heated up on Sunday as both Newcastle United and Manchester United fell to defeats to give some hope to the chasing pack.

The Magpies were beaten at home by title-chasing Arsenal but Eddie Howe’s men still ended the weekend in the Champions League spots after Manchester United were punished for an error by goalkeeper David de Gea in their 1-0 loss at West Ham United.

In-form Liverpool are sat just outside of the top four and are awaiting further misteps by the two Uniteds after winning their last six league games to catapult themselves back into contention. Tottenham Hotspur are also in the mix despite their recent run of poor form and Brighton and Hove Albion’s remarkable season is approaching a thrilling climax with the Seagulls holding as many as three games in hand on the sides above them in the table.

So with just three weeks remaining in the season, NewcastleWorld looks at what lies ahead for Eddie Howe and his players and assesses what number of points they require to secure qualification for all three European competitions.

Remaining fixtures for Newcastle, Manchester United, Liverpool and more

3rd: Newcastle United (34 games played, 65 points)

Leeds United (A), Brighton and Hove Albion (H), Leicester City (H), Chelsea (A) Maximum possible points total: 77

4th: Manchester United (34 games played, 63 points)

Wolverhampton Wanderers (H), AFC Bournemouth (A), Chelsea (H), Fulham (H) Maximum possible points total: 75

5th: Liverpool (35 games played, 62 points)

Leicester City (A), Aston Villa (H), Southampton (A) Maximum possible points total: 71

6th: Tottenham Hotspur (35 games played, 57 points)

Aston Villa (A), Brentford (H), Leeds United (A) Maximum possible points total: 66

7th: Brighton and Hove Albion (32 games played, 55 points)

Everton (H), Arsenal (A), Newcastle United (A), Southampton (H), Manchester City (H), Aston Villa (A) Maximum possible points total: 73

8th: Aston Villa (35 games played, 54 points)

Tottenham Hotspur (H), Liverpool (A), Brighton and Hove Albion (H) Maximum possible points total: 63

What does that mean for Newcastle United’s European hopes?

Should the Magpies claim one win from their remaining four games they move on to 68 points and will surpass the maximum possible points totals of both Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton and Hove Albion. That will be enough to secure a top six place and ensure Eddie Howe’s side will qualify for the Europa League. Given that Aston Villa are unable to catch United, it would be safe to assume the lowest position the Magpies can finish is seventh place and that means qualification for the Europa Conference League.

The big question is what do Newcastle need to do from their remaining four game to ensure they can end their 20-year long absence from the Champions League? The answer is straightforward in practice. Should United take nine points from their remaining four games they will secure a top four place as that would mean neither Brighton or Liverpool would be able to pass their points total of 74.

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