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Sunday saw Newcastle round off their trophy-winning season by claiming a place in next season's Champions League tournament - thanks in no small part to the match-winning efforts of Manchester United.

Before kick-off, the Red Devils were on course to set a new club record of just six home league wins in a season, but Ruben Amorim's mob rode their luck before scoring twice to inflict a priceless defeat on Aston Villa at Old Trafford.

The Villans endured a trio of contentious decisions that began with the dismissal of Emiliano Martinez in first half added time, continued with a Morgan Rogers goal that referee Thomas Bramall ruled out and concluded with a penalty award that led to the home side's crucial second goal.   

At Gallowgate meanwhile, the Magpies were inflicting cruelty on their fans in the form of a shapeless, aimless performance that helped a certain wearside custodian keep a clean sheet - although our shoddiness was as pivotal as his proficiency....

That pain increased when an unmarked Carlos Alcaraz was left alone to head Vitalii Mykolenko's centre past Nick Pope in the Gallowgate goal just after the hour mark.

Barely 10 minutes later however, roars from those fans inside SJP with a functioning phone signalled that events elsewhere were shaping our destiny in the shape of a Manchester United goal - and then another one for good measure. 

A season when results elsewhere never seemed to benefit us concluded with the biggest payback since Villa knocked Brighton off the top of the Championship in 2017. 

That it was Manchester United also had a certain symmetry - a year to the day that their FA Cup Final win over Manchester City deprived us of Europe. Concentrating on the domestic cups this season has proved to be a canny ploy....

Newcastle's attempts to dredge up an equaliser that would be meaningless in terms of qualification chances as long as Villa lost saw them end up with an obviously unfit Alexander Isak flanked by Callum Wilson and William Osula. 

Anthony Gordon had kept his place in the side, but failed to appear after the break following a shift as unproductive as his colleagues.

Home players clustered on the edge of the Leazes box as the visitors acknowledged their supporters and the giant screen beamed out the latest scores elsewhere. 

Moments later, the Champions League logo appeared on the scoreboard as the competition anthem rang out, confirming that there was no late collapse at Old Trafford and Eddie Howe's side had secured fifth place on goal difference. 

Wilson confirmed his exit from the club with a tearful solo lap of honour before the now-familiar post-match scenes unfolded, culminating in a group photo taken in front of the Gallowgate End featuring the Carabao Cup, club CEO Yasir Al-Rumayyan and countless squad relatives and bairns.

When people had urged the players all week to "Do it for Bobby" - we didn't realise they meant Charlton....

The fact that Newcastle are back in the Champions League will be remembered long after today's events. An upturn following the defeat at Brentford in December that dropped them into twelfth position was followed by a sequence of results meant that today's outcome didn't matter. 

They may have stumbled over the line with sections of the team running on fumes, but they got there. Somehow.

For Howe, the relief is two-fold; not only achieving qualification but also securing the financial rewards that finally allow him to significantly reshape his squad - something that today underlined is long overdue. 

Rightfully, there's also celebration for the manager, who reflected on the season just finished as follows:

"First domestic trophy in 70 years, Champions League place, just how big an achievement is it? It’s a massive achievement. A massive season for us."

Team: Pope, Livramento, Schar, Botman (Trippier 63), Burn, Guimaraes, Tonali, J.Murphy (Wilson 70), Gordon (Willock 46), Barnes (Osula 88), Isak.
Subs n/u: Dubravka, Krafth, Lascelles, Longstaff, Miley.

Booked: Schar

EFC: Pickford, Young, O'Brien, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Gueye, Harrison, Alcaraz (Duocoure 76), Ndiaye (McNeil 76), Beto (Calvert-Lewin 88).
Subs n/u: Begovic, Broja, Virginia, Patterson, Chermiti, Welch. 

Goal: Alcaraz 65

Booked: Gueye, Young, Mykolenko, Garner.

Crowd: 52,221 including 3,000 away fans.

Eddie Howe: 

"I think we’ve had an incredible season, and the players deserve a lot of credit and praise, in terms of how they’ve handled the season, how they’ve conducted themselves.

"We’ve had some sticky moments, we’ve had some massive ups and downs, but we got there and it was fully deserved.

"In the beginning of the season, there was a little bit of uncertainty, but we’ve always given our best. I think we’ve tried to give real honesty in our performances.

"The players have given their all, and with the amount of games, including the cup run, the players’ mindsets have been incredible.

"You know what the hypotheticals are, but now you have to do it. First domestic trophy in 70 years, Champions League place, just how big an achievement is it? It’s a massive achievement. A massive season for us.

"To win a cup was a game-changer for us. The quality of teams and players should never be underestimated. It’s enough to get back into the Champions League, which really sets the appetite for what next season could be.

"I almost think we were too desperate to win today - I've said that maybe before in games, where that desperation can sometimes lead to poor decisions and a disjointed performance.

"Obviously, as you go through the season and you adjust to what you're achieving, sometimes you think differently, but overall this will be remembered as an unbelievable season in the future for Newcastle to look back on and reflect on.

"You’re thinking, ‘This might not happen today, what’s happening elsewhere?’. That was where my brain went.

"The last stage of the game was strange because we knew bar a miracle we were going to get there, but we still wanted to try to come back and win.

"The achievement is huge. Naturally, when we lose the game, there is a disappointment. I think we have to override that with the 38 games of the season to qualify for the competition. It is a huge moment for the club.

"The experience we had there the first time (in 2023) will help us no end, I think.

"We felt we grew through the competition, so I think we are stronger. I think we are better prepared both physically and mentally for the competition ahead."

On transfers:

"I do think it's a window we have to be active in and I'm sure we will be. We haven't recruited strongly in three windows and I think eventually that catches up with you continue not to change.

"We felt that potentially last summer which is why it's an amazing achievement from the players to see this season through. But yes, it is going to be a big transfer window for us.

"The power of the Champions League and the pull of the Champions League is huge and we can’t get away from that, the excitement that this will bring for the people here.

"And of course it’s a selling point for us now, it’s an opportunity for us to sell that dream to future players that might be considering coming to us.

"We’ve got to get the financials right, we’ve got to get every other aspect of trying to sign players here right, and hopefully we can do that.

"Speed is key for us and I have reiterated that many times internally. Speed is key because we have to be dynamic, we have to be ready to conclude things very quickly because good players don’t hang around for long. 

"That’s always been my thought and my message on recruitment really because you can have a period when you think you have time - but then you look around quickly and you see that time has elapsed and you missed opportunities you won’t get again. 

"That’s what we will be trying but the reality of that is it’s not always in your hands - but we will do our best to do things early.”

On Callum Wilson:

"Let's wait and see. We're going to sit down and talk with his representatives.

"What I can say is Callum Wilson is and has been just an incredible footballer for Newcastle, someone who epitomises the spirit that's got us to where we are.

"Really professional, brave. I mean, to come here and be the number nine in the manner and the moment that he did in the club's history, it was a difficult moment.

"The club needed hope and Callum gave them hope. He led the line with that responsibility and the pressure that that role brings unbelievably well.

"He brings a positivity to the group. He's a leader within the changing room. He's just been incredible and let's wait and see what happens.

"It was great to see him have that relationship with the supporters. There's still so much respect there between the two.”

Final Premier League table - top 10: 

Final day PL results:

Bournemouth 2-0 Leicester City
Fulham 0-2 Manchester City
Ipswich Town 1-3 West Ham
Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace
Manchester United 2-0 Aston Villa
Newcastle 0-1 Everton
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Chelsea
Southampton 1-2 Arsenal
Spurs 1-4  Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolves 1-1 Brentford

Nine of the 20 sides in the Premier League next season will play in some form of European competition. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Spurs qualify for the Champions League. Aston Villa and Crystal Palace qualify for the Europa League. Nottingham Forest qualify for the Europa Conference League. 

Referee: Tony Harrington - first Newcastle game of the season for the Hartlepool-born whistler. His most recent Toon games were both at SJP in the latter stages of the 2023/24 season - a 1-1 draw with Everton and a 5-1 win over Sheffield United.

VAR: Paul Tierney

Stats: 

Following last week's 0-1 defeat at Arsenal, Newcastle lost successive Premier League games without scoring for the first time since March 2023 (Liverpool home lost 0-2 then Manchester City away lost 0-2).

The Magpies debuted their 2025/26 season Adidas home kit, the first time that they'd previewed a kit in the last game of the season since 2019/20 (Liverpool home lost 0-1). 

Toffees @ SJP - PL era:

Newcastle United have confirmed a one year contract extension for Dan Burn, keeping the England international defender at Gallowgate until 2027.

Burn, who turned 33 earlier this month, has made 148 appearances in all competitions since completing a £13m switch from Brighton and Hove Albion in January 2022.

Sky Sports report that provision for an additional 12 month deal exists in Burn's revised contract.

Following well-received memoirs, "The Boy on the Shed" and "The Magic in the Tin", former Magpie Paul Ferris returns with "Once Upon a Toon".

Subtitled "18 years inside Newcastle United", this new book collects anecdotes and experiences from his trio of stints working at St.James' Park across three decades.

A host of scarcely believable stories are retold, featuring a cast of Magpie characters from Joe Harvey to Alan Shearer via Gazza, Kevin Keegan and Bruce ****ing Springsteen...

"Once Upon..." is available direct from the publisher here

We had copies to give away in a free-to-enter competition 
and asked you to predict the final place in the Premier League that Newcastle occupied. 

The names of the winners will appear here on Monday following a random draw of all those who guessed fifth.

Update:
Home kit confirmation

Friday morning saw Newcastle reveal their 2025/26 home kit, which they'll debut against Everton this Sunday.

The new kits will go on sale from NUFC stores at 9am on Thursday, May 29th.

News of the second and third kit launches and designs is awaited, with strong claims that one will be green and the other a version of the 1997/98 blue shirt with a green and orange stripe.

Temps:
Loan lads 

Miodrag Pivas (Willem II):
A gripping Eredivisie relegation playoff second leg on Saturday ended with Willem II overcoming a 1-2 first leg deficit against Dordrecht in front of their own fans.

Miodrag stayed on the bench as his current side won 3-2 and then triumphed 5-4 in the penalty shootout that followed.

Their reward is a two-legged shootout against second tier Telstar on Thursday (away) and Sunday week (home).

Vakhtang Salia (Dinamo Tblisi):
The youngster appeared as a 74th minute substitute in Saturday's 2-0 home win over Torpedo Kutaisi. That left Dinamo third in the Erovnuli Liga.

Travis Hernes (AaB):
With relegation from the Danish SuperLiga already assured, AaB ended their season with a 1-3 loss at Lyngby on Saturday. Midfielder Travis was among the unused subs, failing to add to his 12 appearances (nine starts).

Internationals:
Call-ups

Former Magpies leaving their clubs include:

Paul Dummett Carlisle United
Fraser Forster Spurs (tbc)
Dwight Gayle Hibernian (retired) 
Jeff Hendrick Derby County
Tim Krul Luton Town
James Milner Brighton & Hove Albion
Jonjo Shelvey Burnley
Freddie Woodman Preston North End

NUSC:
NUSC renewals open

A reminder that memberships of NUSC (Newcastle United Supporters Club) can now be renewed online here

Find more details of NUSC online here

Wor Flags:
Wor Flags raffle

There's the chance to win one of three autographed boots in a Wor Flags fundraising raffle, with ones from Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Alexander Isak up for grabs. 

Tickets cost £5 each and can be bought online here

Closing date is Saturday 31st May at 3pm.