Newcastle United's Eddie Howe Calls For Full Focus On Champions League Qualification After EFL Cup Triumph

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Eddie Howe is urging Newcastle United to shift their focus from their recent EFL Cup victory to securing a spot in the Champions League. After ending a 70-year trophy drought by defeating Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley on March 16, the team celebrated with an open-top bus parade. However, with Brentford visiting St James' Park on Wednesday, Howe wants his players to concentrate on the Premier League.

Newcastle are just two points behind fourth-place Chelsea. Howe emphasises the importance of maintaining focus, stating, "We need to put what happened against Liverpool to the back of our minds and focus on the future." With ten games remaining, he sees these as opportunities to make this season memorable. The performance against Liverpool sets a benchmark for future matches.

Newcastle's recent form has been inconsistent, with three losses in their last five league games. Howe acknowledges this and stresses the need for improvement at home. "Our home form has been a bit scratchy in recent weeks and we've had a couple of painful defeats," he said. The challenge is increasing, and they must be prepared for upcoming tests.

The allure of Champions League football is significant for Newcastle, both financially and competitively. Howe notes that qualifying will be challenging and will depend on consistency. He warns against complacency following their win over Liverpool, saying, "There will be a confidence lift after Liverpool but you have to be careful it doesn't turn into a negative."

This period is crucial for Newcastle's season, and how they respond will determine their success. "We need to galvanise ourselves and ride the huge wave of positivity," Howe added. The team must harness this momentum positively.

Key Players to Watch

Alexander Isak has been instrumental for Newcastle this season, scoring 19 Premier League goals—nine at home and ten away. He joins Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer as the only Newcastle players to achieve double figures both home and away in a single season.

For Brentford, Yoane Wissa has been in fine form, scoring in three of their last four Premier League matches. His recent performances include goals in both of Brentford's last two away games.

Match Prediction: Newcastle Win

Brentford have struggled historically against Newcastle but managed a 4-2 victory in December's reverse fixture. They aim to achieve their first league double over Newcastle since 1934-35. However, Newcastle have won nine of their last 13 league matches since mid-December.

Brentford are currently enjoying a strong run of five consecutive away wins—the longest such streak by any team this season. Arsenal were the last team outside the top ten to win six straight away games between December 2020 and May 2021.

Statistical Insights

This season, Newcastle have dropped only seven points from winning positions—a league low—while recovering 18 points from losing positions, second only to Liverpool's 19 points recovered.

The Opta win probability suggests Newcastle have a 52.2% chance of winning against Brentford's 25.7%, with a draw at 22.1%. This highlights Newcastle's favourable position going into this matchday.