‘Huge Advantage’ – Ex-PL Star Sees Factor Favouring Newcastle United
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Former Premier League defender Kieran Gibbs has picked Newcastle United to finish in the Premier League’s top four at the end of the season and qualify for the Champions League as he expects Chelsea to fall off.
The Magpies have been exceptional in the second half of the campaign and after lifting the EFL Cup last month to end their 70-year trophy drought, morale of the dressing room is at an all-time high.
With their latest win over 3-0 win over Leicester City on Monday, Newcastle are now equal on points with fourth-placed Chelsea and still have a game in hand.
Howe’s men are on 53 points and have eight matches still left to play this season in the Premier League, five of which the Magpies will play at their home, St James’ Park.
Gibbs believes that Newcastle will have a massive advantage in their push for the Champions League football next season, as St James’ Park will provide the players with huge support in their remaining matches.
The former defender believes that Howe has got the perfect control over Magpies’ form and feels that Enzo Maresca’s Blues will tail off, with Manchester City finishing fifth in the Premier League table.
Gibbs said on ESPN FC (6:02): “Five of Newcastle’s last eight games are at home which I don’t think for Chelsea would have mattered as much.
“But certainly for Newcastle that is a huge advantage and we know how much of an influence it is at St James’ Park.
“I can imagine how rocking their last few home games are going to be.
“For me, with the form they are on, they have ten or eleven wins in their last 14 matches.
“Eddie Howe has just got a firm grip on their form at the moment, I don’t think he is going to let that go.
“I am going to go Chelsea to fall out [of top four] and [Manchester] City to be in [top five].”
Newcastle are set to face Manchester United at the weekend and will look to complete a double over the Red Devils, after the Magpies defeated them 2-0 earlier this season.
With the business end of the season on the horizon, Howe’s men will look to make an historic Magpies season more memorable by qualifying for the Champions League next season for the second time in the last three campaigns.
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