Newcastle United remain in the race for a Champions League place despite suffering an underwhelming run of form over the last two months.
Eddie Howe’s men currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League table after falling to a 2-0 defeat at reigning champions Manchester City at the weekend - but they are still within touching distance of fourth place after Tottenham Hotspur were beaten at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.
With the season now heading into its final two months and the race for the top four quickly hotting up, thoughts are quickly turning towards what points total United may need to return to the Champions League for the first time since Sir Bobby Robson was in the dugout and the likes of Nolberto Solano, Laurent Robert and Alan Shearer were shining at St James Park.
NewcastleWorld takes a look back at the last 11 Premier League seasons and assesses what points totals were enough to secure fourth place and predicts what will be required at the end of the current campaign.
9. 2019/20: 66 points
A season decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic ended with Steve Bruce’s United in thirteenth place once again. Despite suffering a late defeat at St James Park prior to the first lockdown, Chelsea claimed fourth place with 66 points. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
10. 2020/21: 67 points
Another season impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic ended with United in twelfth place. It was Chelsea that saw off Leicester City and West Ham United to take fourth place with 67 points. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
11. 2021/22: 71 points
A season of change on Tyneside as the PIF-led consortium took control of the Magpies, Eddie Howe was appointed as manager and an eleventh place finish was claimed. Spurs took fourth place with 71 points after Arsenal imploded in the final weeks of the season. | AFP via Getty Images
12. 2022/23: (Predicted) 66 points
Newcastle currently sit in sixth place on 41 points and stats experts FiveThirtyEight have predicted a total of 66 points would be required to claim the fourth and final Champions League spot. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images