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Newcastle United will finish the season in the Top 10

By Durim Halimi

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - JUNE 21: Matt Ritchie of Newcastle celebrates scoring the third goal with team-mates during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Sheffield United at St. James Park on June 21, 2020 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - JUNE 21: Matt Ritchie of Newcastle celebrates scoring the third goal with team-mates during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Sheffield United at St. James Park on June 21, 2020 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Getty Images) /
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Newcastle United are currently 14th in the table, but there are two factors that will help them improve their placement.

Newcastle United were eliminated from the FA Cup on Sunday, but they are enjoying a good run of form in the Premier League at the moment. The Magpies are undefeated in their last three league games and only conceded one goal in the process.

As a result of teams playing every day, the table is constantly changing. Steve Bruce’s side has been jumping between 11th and 14th, but I expect them to finish the season among the top ten. The race for the top half of the table is wide open, but here is why Newcastle United will get the job done.

Favorable Schedule

Unlike other teams in the middle of the pack, which I will analyze in the next section, Newcastle United should be favorites in a couple of their remaining fixtures. The Magpies will take on Bournemouth later today, West Ham on Sunday, Watford the following weekend, and Brighton a week after that.

Newcastle United should take something from these teams, but these games will be tricky seeing that all four clubs are fighting for survival. Claiming 12 points would be wonderful and could push the Toon in the Europa League, but, realistically speaking, a mix of a few wins and draws in these games would be enough to finish tenth.

Difficult Schedules for Others

Newcastle United should be focused on writing their own destiny, but some luck is always needed in football. Sheffield United continue to drop in the standings and they will drop into the bottom half after going up against Tottenham, Wolves, Chelsea, Leicester City and Everton.

As crazy as it sounds, Arsenal are tenth in the table. They might claim three points against Norwich City today, but points will be hard to come by in their next four games against Wolves, Leicester City, Tottenham, and Liverpool. Newcastle United could be a few points ahead of the Gunners come mid-July.

Crystal Palace have been bouncing in and out of the top ten, but they also have a tough list of fixtures to close out the season. Five of their last six games will consist of battles against Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Wolves, and Tottenham. Roy Hodgson’s side will be lucky to take one or two points from those games.

Southampton have a balanced remaining schedule, but they could lose their next three games, which are against Manchester City, Everton, and Manchester United. Newcastle United must get the job done against the Cherries and Hammers in order to jump in front and stay ahead of the Saints.

Everton have a few difficult games coming up, but they also have a ton of talent and a world-class manager who will make them competitive. That being said, I am confident that Newcastle United and Everton will be the two teams that sneak into the top ten. I also do not see Burnley falling below tenth based on their recent form and favorable schedule.

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Am I way off the mark? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.