The position envisaged by the Guardian writers: 8th (NB: this is not necessarily Louise Taylor's prediction, but the average of our writers' advice)
Last season's position: 7th
Perspectives
The Premier League's former top six has been transformed into a top eight, with Newcastle and Aston Villa joining Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea in the fight for Champions League qualification.
Newcastle, after finishing fourth in 2022-23 and seventh last season, harbour real ambitions of returning to the top four and can only be helped by the lack of fixture congestion brought on by their failure in May to qualify for European football.
As much as the club’s majority owners, from Saudi Arabia, want Newcastle to be on the European map, they also know that fewer games will give Eddie Howe more time to concentrate on his strengths: improving players and refining tactics on the training ground. Not to mention potentially reducing the number of injured players filling the treatment room.
If the hiring of injury prevention specialist James Bunce as performance director should help in this regard, the imminent return of £50m Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali after a 10-month suspension In view of the violations of Italian betting regulations, standards in the field should be raised.
At their best, Howe’s fast-paced, high-pressing side can overwhelm almost any opponent. Their motto, “Intensity is our identity,” is no mere slogan. With Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak, Newcastle possess a core of highly sought-after players.
While the return of Howe's outstanding left-back Sven Botman is eagerly awaited early in the year following an ACL repair, the manager hopes England centre-back Marc Guéhi will be able to return to the squad. completes his proposed move to Newcastle and he is joined by a high-calibre right winger.
Despite the Saudis' immense wealth, Newcastle's spending power has been restricted by the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) but, with the club's commercial revenues beginning to grow steadily, these restrictions appear strictly temporary.