Rafa Benitez predicted 'celebrations all over the city' after Newcastle United took one step closer to UEFA Champions League football after a big win over Southampton.
Newcastle collected their eighth victory from nine in the Premier League by coming from behind to beat rock bottom Southampton 3-1 at St James' Park on Sunday. The Magpies maintained their two-point lead over fourth-place Manchester United, who play their game in hand against fellow top four hopefuls Brighton at the Amex on Thursday night.
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Callum Wilson scored twice either side of Theo Walcott's own goal, after Stuart Armstrong had fired the Saints into the lead before the break.
Benitez, who spent over three years at St James' Park between 2016 and 2019, believes playing amongst Europe's elite will be celebrated across the city.
“Getting in the Champions League is massive for everyone at Newcastle, after a time they weren’t the best – the new owners have invested a lot of money and Eddie Howe is doing a great job. They will be over the moon, and they’ll be celebrating all around the city,” Benitez told Premier League Productions.
Speaking after the game, Eddie Howe said: "A great response second-half though. It was a key moment for us after going 1-0 down, the players did exceptionally well in that second period.
“We played with real control. We didn’t get desperate in our attempts to score. We stayed patient, made good decisions and got rewarded for that.
“We are in a good place because we are winning and we are confident. The players believe in our ability to win football matches. We play Arsenal next and are looking forward to that challenge but we are taking nothing for granted.”
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