Assessing Newcastle United's final six Premier League fixtures

After thrashing Tottenham Hotspur 6-1 on Sunday and cruising to a 4-1 victory in Thursday's away meeting with Everton, the Magpies have solidified their place in the top four.

Eddie Howe's side, who are sitting in third position, are currently eight points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand.

With four of their final six fixtures taking place in front of their home support, Newcastle will be confident of returning to the Champions League for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

Ahead of their Premier League run-in, Sports Mole assesses Newcastle's final six matches of a successful Premier League season.

Southampton (Home) - April 30

After thrashing Tottenham 6-1 last weekend, Newcastle will have the chance to claim a fourth consecutive home victory on Sunday.

They will be confident of continuing their winning home run, having already beaten Southampton on three occasions this season.

The Magpies eased to a 4-1 victory in the reverse league fixture, before they went on to win both legs of the EFL Cup semi-final.

Those results extended Newcastle's unbeaten run in competitive meetings with the Saints to six matches (W5, D1).

Arsenal (Home) - May 7

Newcastle will then turn their attention to a mouthwatering home meeting with an Arsenal side that have seen their title dreams fade in recent weeks.

After playing out three consecutive draws, the Gunners were hammered 4-1 by title rivals Manchester City in midweek, but they will have the chance to return to winning ways before they head to the North East when they face Chelsea on Tuesday.

The Magpies played out a goalless draw when they met Arsenal in January, but they managed to claim all three points in their most recent home game against the Gunners.

After beating Mikel Arteta's side 2-0 in May 2022, Newcastle will have the chance to claim consecutive home victories over Arsenal in the top flight for the first time since 1996.

Leeds United (Away) - May 13

In the first of their final two away games, Newcastle will head to Elland Road where they will come up against a Leeds team that are battling for their Premier League survival.

Having scored at least two goals in their last four away victories, the Magpies will be looking to take advantage of a shaky Leeds defence.

The Yorkshire club shares the worst-defensive record in the top flight with Bournemouth after shipping 63 goals in 33 matches.

Newcastle enjoyed success in their last trip to Elland Road in January 2022 when Jonjo Shelvey scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory.

Brighton & Hove Albion (Home) - May 18

Following their trip to Yorkshire, Newcastle will return to St James' Park for a home game against Brighton & Hove Albion, who are currently chasing European qualification.

Having picked up 25 points from their 16 away league games this season, Brighton currently boasts the fourth-best away record in the top flight, highlighting the difficult test that Newcastle will face on May 18.

However, Newcastle have fared reasonably well in their last three meetings with the Seagulls, which have yielded one win and two draws.

The sole victory in that three-game period took place on home turf last season, as the hosts edged out Brighton to claim a narrow 2-1 win.

Leicester City (Home) - May 22

Howe will be hoping that Champions League football is secured long before relegation-threatened Leicester City arrive on Tyneside.

Even if their place in the top four is wrapped up, the Newcastle boss will want his side to put on a strong display in their final home game of the season.

Newcastle have the opportunity to beat Leicester for a third time this in the 2022-23 campaign, after making light work of their previous two meetings.

They cruised to a 3-0 away victory when the two sides met in the league in December before they clinched a 2-0 home win in January's League Cup quarter-final thanks to second-half efforts from Dan Burn and Joelinton.

Chelsea (Away) - May 28

Newcastle will round off a memorable season with a trip to the capital to face a Chelsea side who have endured a miserable campaign.

Since winning 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in May 2012, the Magpies have suffered 10 consecutive away defeats against Chelsea across all competitions.

They have also failed to score in their last three away meetings with Chelsea, but with the two sides experiencing contrasting fortunes, Newcastle may view the contest as a golden opportunity to claim a win at Stamford Bridge.

The Magpies also have the chance to claim a league double over the West London club after a Joe Willock strike secured a narrow 1-0 victory in November's home fixture.