Newcastle United know that two victories from their final three fixtures will guarantee a top-four finish and mark a first foray into European football for a decade. The Magpies could effectively ensure a final-day visit to Chelsea is all but a dead rubber with successive home victories over Brighton and Leicester City.
Liverpool have setup a potentially uncomfortable finish to the season with a run of seven straight victories, including a comfortable away win at Leicester on Monday night. Jurgen Klopp has consistently downplayed the Reds' prospects of qualifying for the Champions League throughout the run, insisting it is still not 'likely' despite closing the gap to a single point.
Eddie Howe has dismissed talk of being 'hunted' by Liverpool, although he admitted last season's FA Cup and Carabao Cup winners always had the capacity to rack up a run of wins. Six points would be enough to mathematically guarantee that the Reds' late rally ends in vain, but there is also another scenario which could see Newcastle see off a perfect finish to the season for Liverpool without picking up two wins.
