As Newcastle United look to put together a strong run and climb the Premier League table, supercomputer predictions have improved for the Magpies yet again.
The win over Everton this weekend was a significant one. Not only was it Newcastle’s first away win of the season, it also earned them back-to-back wins for the first time this term.
Hello! It’s time to talk all things Newcastle United vs Tottenham. What are some of your early predictions?
Newcastle now have momentum behind them going into Tuesday’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur, and Eddie Howe can finally start to think about climbing the table.
There are still tough games ahead, of course, and a long way to go this season. But, with aspirations of qualifying for the Champions League once more, Newcastle’s chances are improving every week.
Opta’s supercomputer increases Newcastle’s chances of success
Last week, after the win over Man City, Opta predictions had Newcastle to finish eighth in the final Premier League table. They were given a 9.27% chance of qualifying for the Champions League at the time.
Now, after the hammering of Everton on Saturday, Opta has bumped that percentage up and moved Newcastle one place higher in the projected league table.
The Magpies are now projected to finish seventh come May, and have a 16.16% chance of landing a Champions League spot. They’ve now surpassed Crystal Palace in that respect, but are still behind the likes of Brighton (25.34%), Aston Villa (38.35%) and Liverpool (42.47%).
It’s still going to be a massive challenge for Newcastle to get in the top four or five places this season, but they’re heading in the right direction, at least.
The next four games will tell us a lot about Newcastle United
Next up is a clash with Spurs on Tuesday night at St. James’ Park. Win there, and the Magpies could climb into the top half of the table. It’s a game Alan Shearer thinks they can win, and he also believes they can make it into the top five come the end of the season.
After that, it’s a home tie against Burnley, before the Tyne-Wear derby and a challenging test against Chelsea. That takes us to Christmas, and if Newcastle can come out of that run of games relatively unscathed, they could well be up there among the top five.
Will Eddie Howe make it five wins in a row against Spurs at home?!
By the time January comes around, Newcastle will have work to do in the transfer market, but that pressing need may be a little less intense if they can go into the New Year with the Champions League places in their sights.