- Newcastle United still not safe from drop zone
- Tottenham Hotspur win over Wolves keeps their hope alive
- Magpies have easier fixtures on paper
The dire form of Newcastle United still means there is an outside chance they will be relegated from the Premier League with just four games to go. West Ham are just six points off the Magpies following their dramatic 2-1 win over Everton last weekend.
If there were more games remaining of the season, alarm bells would be sounding for the Black and Whites board at this stage, as it seems like an uphill battle to win another game this season. The hope is that West Ham and other relegation candidates have left it too late to catch up.
| West Ham remaining games | Newcastle United remaining games |
|---|---|
| Brentford (A) | Brighton (H) |
| Arsenal (H) | Nottingham Forest (A) |
| Newcastle (A) | West Ham (H) |
| Leeds United (H) | Fulham (A) |
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are more focused on ensuring Tottenham don’t catch them, but with two wins and a draw in their last three outings, the Hammers may even be looking up the table.
Newcastle and West Ham remaining fixtures
There’s little to separate the two runs of fixtures in terms of difficulty. West Ham travel to Brentford this weekend in a London derby and the hosts still have plenty to play for with European qualification possible.
The Bees sit ninth in the division and are level on points with eighth-placed Chelsea, one point off Bournemouth in seventh and two points off Brighton in eighth. Both London sides will be desperate for three points.
The visit of Arsenal to the London Stadium should be a defeat for West Ham but the Gunners are looking cagey as pressure to finish off their title chase grows. There is then the visit to St James’ Park, which Newcastle United will hope doesn’t become a relegation six-pointer.
Leeds United will likely be safe by the final day of the season, which could give West Ham the perfect opportunity of picking up three points against a Daniel Farke side potentially already thinking about the beach.
Newcastle United finish campaign at Europe-chasing Fulham
Newcastle take on Brighton at St James’ Park, before meeting Elliot Anderson’s Nottingham Forest side, who are also flirting with the prospect of relegation to the Championship. After the West Ham clash is a trip to Fulham, who may also be in the European conversation on the final day of the campaign.
While their places aren’t booked in the top flight for next season at this stage, it does seem very unlikely that the Toon Army will be travelling to Lincoln in August.
There is a sense of the unknown every time the Black and Whites take to the field, and this has been supported by some awful performances recently.
The Magpies will be hoping to pick up some more points in these final outings, but where will they come from? They look frail in attack and vulnerable at the back.
Change is required for Newcastle, as this hasn’t been good enough, and the fact that they aren’t safe with four games left should make important figures take a look in the mirror, as they limp to the finish line.
In other news, Bruno Guimaraes confirms Newcastle United injury concern ahead of Brighton.
