Newcastle United did not play this weekend, but Premier League outcomes have only increased our chances of qualifying for European competition next season.
West Ham would have moved above us and into sixth place if they had beaten Crystal Palace on Sunday, but the Eagles thrashed the Hammers, taking a 4-0 lead and winning 5-2.
We now have two games in hand over David Moyes’ side and a two-point lead. Not only that, but West Ham has some tough remaining fixtures, with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea all appearing in three of their final four games.
Their defeat has left many believing that sixth and seventh place are now a three-way tie between Newcastle (50 points), Manchester United (50 points), and Chelsea (47 points), but Palace’s superb triumph serves as an early warning ahead of our trip to Selhurst Park on Wednesday night.
The Eagles triumphed 1-0 at Liverpool the weekend before and looked fantastic on Sunday, with Eze and Olise causing havoc either side of an in-form Mateta, who has now scored five goals in his previous four home games.
Newcastle arrive in form, having won 4-0 over Spurs and been well rested (for once) after a weekend off, but we’ll need to play well to win at Palace on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
