Gary Neville believes a fifth-placed finish for Newcastle United is a 'sensible' target for the remainder of the Premier League season. The Sky Sports pundit fears the Magpies' form could dip following their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United, while pointing to the recent results of top-four rivals Liverpool and Tottenham.
Eddie Howe's side trip to Wembley ended in heartbreak as their bid to end the club's painful trophy drought ended in a 2-0 defeat to the Red Devils. First-half strikes from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford were enough to ease Manchester United to victory, as Newcastle struggled to fashion openings despite enjoying the lionshare of possession.
It was the second consecutive defeat for Newcastle, who fell to only their second league loss of the campaign so far the previous week against Liverpool. The Magpies have won just once in the top-flight so far in 2023, and now trail fourth-placed Tottenham by four points, albeit with two games in hand.
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Howe's side have emerged as unlikely contenders to qualify for the Champions League following a stunning start to the season, just one year on from facing a fight for survival. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher tipped Newcastle to hold on to fourth place in January, while Neville backed Tottenham to secure the final Champions League spot.
The topic was raised once again as part of The Overlap's review of the Carabao Cup final. Neville has now admitted he fears Newcastle could struggle in the final three months of the season, and responded to the suggestion of fifth-placed finish.
The pundit told the Overlap: "I think that's sensible, I think that's smart because that's what I feel as well. Newcastle could really go like that [pointing down], Liverpool are on the way up, Tottenham [too]."
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