The race for Champions League qualification took a fresh twist on Monday night as two former Newcastle United players stole the headlines.
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Newcastle United’s weekend went from bad to worse on Monday night when Nottingham Forest triumphed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Nuno Espirito’s side started the day in sixth place, but ended it in third after a 2-1 win over Spurs.
The fixture schedule meant that Forest could only watch on at the weekend as Manchester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa all won to strengthen their hopes of Champions League qualification. Newcastle United, who were hammered at Villa Park on Saturday evening, were the only side in the top seven of the Premier League to not collect three points.
Although their Champions League destiny is still in their hands, the same can be said for every other side in the race. Two of the three relegation places have already been sorted, with the other potentially sealed at the weekend should Ipswich Town fail to win at St James’ Park or West Ham avoid defeat against Brighton.
The title race could also be finalised by the end of this weekend with Liverpool knowing that a win against Spurs on Sunday evening will see them lift their second ever Premier League trophy. The Reds could even be confirmed as champions as early as Wednesday night should they be defeated by Crystal Palace.
All of this means that, heading into the final few weeks of the season, all eyes are on the race for European places. And after a disappointing weekend of results, Newcastle United need to respond. Fast.
Ex-Newcastle United duo deliver hammer blow
Forest’s win on Monday night was watched on keenly from Tyneside with hopes that Ange Postecoglou’s side could do them a favour. Those hopes were dashed inside 17 minutes as Forest took a 2-0 lead.
And of course, the irony of football gods ensured that it would be goals from Chris Wood and Elliot Anderson that helped Forest to one of their most important Premier League wins of the season. The former Newcastle United duo have enjoyed a very good season at the City Ground and have played a pivotal role in helping the Tricky Trees into European contention.
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Wood’s goal in north London was his 19th of the season - 14 more than he managed during his year on Tyneside. After spending most of his time in the north east behind both Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak in the pecking order, the decision to sell the New Zealand international in 2023 was a difficult one, but one that allowed them to recoup a decent sum of money that could go towards future transfers.
Anderson, meanwhile, was sold to ensure they did not fall foul of PSR and to avoid a points deduction. The pair raised around £50m for the Magpies, but their goals and performances this season could cost their former club millions if Forest pip them to the Champions League.
Newcastle earned just-shy of £30m for their participation in the 2023/24 Champions League and, due to a revamped format, will net a sum significantly higher than that if they qualify for it again. Villa, for comparison, earned around £80m from their run to the quarter-finals this season.