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Newcastle ready for 'six finals' with Champions League qualification on the line

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6 daysFootball

Newcastle United assistant coach Jason Tindall says they have "six finals" left to qualify for the Champions League, with fellow European hopefuls Aston Villa next up.

The Magpies moved third in the Premier League table on Wednesday, thrashing Crystal Palace 5-0 in their game in hand to move above Nottingham Forest in the table.

They have won each of their last six matches in all competitions, a run which includes their EFL Cup triumph over Liverpool, scoring 17 goals and keeping three clean sheets.

A win on Saturday would close the gap to second-placed Arsenal to two points, and with five Champions League places up for grabs, Newcastle are looking to tighten their hold on one.

"That's [Champions League] where we want to get to," Tindall, who is standing in for Eddie Howe while he is ill, said.

"Everybody in the Premier League wants to be in the Champions League. We've experienced it before, and we want more of it.

"We've got six cup finals now remaining and we have to stay focused to be able to go out there and deliver the performances we know will help us to get Champions League."

Meanwhile, Villa were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals after a 5-4 aggregate loss, though they won the second leg 3-2 at Villa Park.

Villa have lost just one of their last 10 matches in all competitions (the first leg against PSG) and are currently on a five-game winning streak in the Premier League.

Unai Emery's side are seventh in the table, but could move into the top five if results go their way, and captain John McGinn stressed the importance of having the crowd behind them as he expects a tough test on Saturday.

"Even though it [the quarter-final] was a loss over two legs, it's another win. Our record [at home] this season, again, is amazing," he said.

"Hopefully, [there are] many more like that to come. The fans have been with us all the way, and they'll be with us on Saturday.

"We're going to need the same atmosphere. It's going to be a really tough game on Saturday, and we can't emphasise how important it is."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Aston Villa – Marcus Rashford

Per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, Marcus Rashford is having more touches (54), shots (3.8), creating more chances (2.8) and attempting more dribbles (five) for Villa than he did for Manchester United (42 touches, 1.5 shots, 1.4 chances created and 3.5 dribbles).

Newcastle United – Jacob Murphy

Jacob Murphy has had a hand in 13 goals in his last 17 away Premier League appearances for Newcastle United (four goals, nine assists), while he has three assists in seven games against Aston Villa.

MATCH PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA WIN

Aston Villa have lost five of their last six Premier League games against Newcastle (W1), as many as they had in their previous 16 against the Magpies in the division (W4 D7).

However, the Opta supercomputer expects them to buck that trend this weekend as Villa have won each of their last four Premier League matches, conceding just one goal. They are looking to win five in a row for the first time since April 2023.

Newcastle have won their last three Premier League games against Villa, scoring at least three goals each time. Only against Tottenham have they won more consecutively while scoring 3+ each time in the competition (five between 2006 and 2008).

Only Liverpool (35) and Arsenal (28) have won more away Premier League points this season than Newcastle United (27). They have won eight away games this season, last winning more in 2001-02 (nine).

In all competitions, Newcastle have won eight of their last 10 away matches (L2. Their away win percentage is 53% (10 wins in 19 games), only having a higher percentage in 2016-17 (54%, 14 wins in 26) in their entire history.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Aston Villa – 41.4%

Draw – 24.8%

Newcastle United – 33.8%