Newcastle United given “opportunity” by Manchester City win

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Daniel Wales reveals how Manchester City’s recent win has helped Newcastle.

Transcript

00:00So, looking at Newcastle's reaction to Aston Villa's late loss against Manchester City.

00:08Now, all season, the race for Champions League football has been actually incredible.

00:13It's gone this late into the season for the first time in a very long time.

00:16I mean, it's between, you know, five or six teams.

00:19And obviously, you know, England and the Premier League have registered for that extra place.

00:24So, fifth place will be in the Champions League, which is great news for the likes of Nottingham Forest.

00:29Aston Villa and Newcastle.

00:32I mean, obviously, Manchester City have now woken up.

00:35Pep Guardiola's thought, you know, this is a priority.

00:37It's all so close.

00:39We have to get in the Champions League.

00:40They've won three games in a row.

00:42Newcastle, obviously, you know, a flying, unbelievable record, including that EFL Cup final win as well.

00:51But they fell to defeat against Aston Villa, a side who have had to deal with that stress of European football.

00:57And it just seems like Ulay Emre's side hadn't slowed down a late loss at the Etihad for them.

01:03You know, that's not going to hurt them too much.

01:05You'd think they will be back and firing very soon.

01:08They obviously beat Newcastle 4-1 at home.

01:10An incredible result in the race for Champions League football.

01:14It leaves Newcastle, though, with a game in hand over the likes of Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.

01:20Daniel Wales has his thoughts on the matter in terms of this Champions League race.

01:25Dan, where do you see Newcastle ending up?

01:27Where do you see this result being in terms of importance for Newcastle's race for the Champions League?

01:34Because it's certainly a competition they'll want to get back into.

01:37And especially, you know, if you look ahead in the bigger picture,

01:40Isak, the summer, you know, he wants to play Champions League football.

01:45Newcastle's top players certainly want to be in European's elite competition.

01:50Dan, what are your thoughts?

01:53Well, Charles, I think that that result couldn't have gone any better for Newcastle.

01:57Obviously, Newcastle lost 4-1 against Aston Villa on Saturday at Villa Park.

02:02And again, they probably just ran out of steaming in the end.

02:05Their lack of squad depth probably coming back to bite them a little bit.

02:08Whereas Villa, of course, who had played, you know, in midweek as well,

02:12were able to rotate Newcastle with their squad.

02:15As I mentioned, they're probably not able to do that as much.

02:17And in fact, had played about seven or eight games with the same unchanged 11 in a row.

02:22Of course, that had seen them, you know, win a lot of games in a row, including a cup final.

02:26So you can't knock them for that.

02:28But that game against Villa probably came as one game too far.

02:32But Villa losing to Manchester City, sees Newcastle have a chance now

02:37to essentially make that loss to Villa redundant, null and void.

02:41Because, of course, if Newcastle then go and beat Ipswich on Saturday,

02:45the games will become level again in terms of how many games are played.

02:48And Newcastle will once again have a five-point gap to Aston Villa.

02:51I think a lot of Newcastle fans were always of the mind that Manchester City

02:54are probably going to qualify for the Champions League and get in that top five.

02:58And so it was a case of knocking away other teams who are perhaps more of a threat.

03:05And Aston Villa are one of those.

03:07And, of course, Newcastle lost that five-point gap they had when they lost at Villa Park.

03:10But now they have the chance to re-establish that.

03:13With Villa, of course, having played their 34th game of the season a little bit early

03:17due to their FA Cup semi-final involvement this weekend coming.

03:21So Newcastle have an ideal chance against Ipswich Town to make that gap five points again.

03:27And, of course, Chelsea, they also play this weekend.

03:29They've got Everton at home in a game that is probably also quite winnable for Chelsea.

03:34So Newcastle may not have as big of a gap on them come five o'clock on Saturday evening

03:40if they have beaten Ipswich, that is.

03:42But certainly on Aston Villa, they'd have a five-point gap with four games to go.

03:46And that's invaluable for Newcastle with only, as I say, four games left of the season.

03:51And, of course, Newcastle still got to play Chelsea.

03:54And so if Newcastle can beat Ipswich, perhaps get anything in their game against Brighton

03:59away on the road the following Sunday,

04:02they then go into the game at St James' Park against Chelsea,

04:04knowing that I think if they beat Chelsea, that knocks Chelsea out of the race

04:08in terms of Chelsea finishing above Newcastle.

04:10Other teams, perhaps, there still may be a difference.

04:13But for Newcastle, that would be, I think, a really bold and good step for them

04:21in the Champions League and Top 5 race.

04:23But, yes, this is all thanks to, of course, Manchester City beating Aston Villa.

04:27Manchester City probably have the easiest run-in of all the teams involved.

04:31And they're probably going to qualify.

04:33I think that's the way a lot of people see it.

04:34But certainly for Newcastle, it's given them the ideal chance

04:37to once again move five points clear of Aston Villa

04:40and give themselves a fantastic opportunity of finishing

04:43in the Top 5 of the Premier League.

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