Howe (right) and assistant manager Jason Tindall on the verge of taking the Magpies back into the Champions League. — Reuters
With the penultimate round of fixtures spread across five days, the importance of picking up points could not be more crucial for those still harbouring hopes of Champions League football next season.
Arsenal and Newcastle, currently second and third on the log respectively, will face off at the Emirates tomorrow, with a win potentially propelling the Magpies into the runners-up spot.
That would be devastating for the Gunners, who have been second to Liverpool since early November and were in the title race until they weren’t.
Indeed, if this were another team on another day, Mikel Arteta might have relinquished his post as Arsenal boss or been forced to do so.
But as things stand, it’s unlikely, even if they do finish third or fourth.
The Londoners welcome Newcastle on the back of a gritty 2-2 draw against champions Liverpool last weekend, when they had to come from a 2-0 deficit to salvage a point.
But their grip on second place was really loosened by the defeat they suffered at the hands of Bournemouth just prior to the Anfield stalemate and the draw with Crystal Palace.
The draws with Brentford and Everton, before the Ipswich win that followed the Palace game, didn’t help much either.
In contrast, Newcastle are coming off a handsome win over fellow Champions League chasers Chelsea, who were fifth going into last night’s tasty home game against Manchester United.
Newcastle, led upfront by Sweden’s Alexander Isak – widely considered among Europe’s leading strikers this season – would nail down a second Champions League appearance with a victory.
It’s something that Eddie Howe and his squad will know and be determined to accomplish.
It won’t be easy but it is certainly something they could pull off, more so with Arteta’s side going through a few issues of their own.
Despite this, the historical data and current game situation point to a Gunners’ victory being twice as likely as a Magpies triumph.
Whether it pans out like that remains to be seen.
Similarly, time will tell if Fulham, 11th in the standings, can strengthen their case for a European spot at the expense of eighth-placed Brentford, whom they visit tomorrow – four points ahead of the London outfit.
Given England’s standing in Europe these days, the top 10 clubs in the Premier League will earn spots in the continent’s three competitions – the Champions League (six), Europa League (three) and Conference League (one).
