Newcastle United are heading for the Premier League top four.
Yes, all they have to do is win at Elland Road on Monday and they are guaranteed to end this round of matches in the top four.
A Newcastle United victory by two goals or more over Leeds United would guarantee a Premier League top three place at 10pm on Monday night.
It will be only four games gone you say? Well, better to be looking down on most of your Premier League rivals rather than looking up at them, at any stage of this 2026/27 Premier League season.
We are only three weeks into this latest league campaign but already the possibilities are clearly opening up.
Any Premier League team that can find a consistent level of performance at a decent level, the opportunity is there.
This was perfectly summed up by the matches yesterday.
Saturday 12 September
Villa 1 Forest 2
Bournemouth 2 Brentford 2
Chelsea 2 Hull 2
Palace 2 Ipswich 3
Liverpool 0 Fulham 0
Spurs 0 Everton 0
Sunderland 0 Arsenal 2
Sunday 13 September
Coventry v Brighton (2pm)
Man U v Man City (4.30pm)
Monday 14 September
Leeds United v Newcastle United (8pm)
The Premier League table on the morning of Sunday 13 September 2026
As I said above, any win for Newcastle against Leeds would guarantee Matthias Jaissle’s team would end this round of matches in the top four, whilst if NUFC win by two goals or more then they will be third in the table by the end of Monday night.
Looking at everything that has happened so far, I would be amazed if Arsenal and Manchester City don’t fill the top two spots come the end of May 2027. I don’t know in which order but I think those two teams will be well clear of the rest.
As for the rest…I think it is all to play for.
All the experts were predicting that without doubt Ipswich and Hull would be relegated long before the end of the season, yet in the eight Premier League matches they have played so far between them, it is four wins, two draws and just the two defeats.
The same experts confidently declaring that Chelsea were going to be title contenders and Spurs would be serious contenders for the Champions League places.
The reality instead is that Chelsea can’t stop conceding goals (nine in four Premier League matches) and Spurs can’t score at all (zero goals in four PL games).
So far between them, Arsenal and Man City have won all of their seven Premier League matches.
In total 37 Premier League games have been played so far and the other 30 have seen 16 wins and 14 draws. That sums it all up. A very competitive top tier this season where anything could be possible for so many teams, in terms of where they will finish below the top two of Man City and Arsenal.
There is so little between so many teams and if you can turn draws into wins then you are real contenders to finish up towards that top end.
We have already seen that with Newcastle United, denied a deserved victory over Liverpool very late on due to the referee giving far longer added time than there should have been and then gifting a soft penalty. Then a draw against Bournemouth when after enduring a tough opening half, Newcastle could have ended up winning with their fightback, especially if the referee on that occasion had given at least double the added time he did allow and which there should have been.
A strong start in the opening half a dozen matches can give you a great chance of having a very good season. A win at Leeds would give Newcastle eight points from four Premier League matches and then Hull and Coventry to play next.
Despite so little time in the job and with such a change of personnel on and off the pitch, Matthias Jaissle has worked wonders in the opening weeks of the season. If Newcastle United can get to the international break in a healthy position, Jaissle will then have three weeks to work with his players and also the chance to get some key players back from injury and others back to peak fitness as well.
The opportunity is there for Newcastle United this season to prove so many ‘experts’ wrong, after the widespread predictions of certain failure for NUFC before a ball was kicked.
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