Brentford 2 Newcastle 4: Toon beat Man Utd to seventh with Europa Conference League hopes now in Man City’s hands
MANCHESTER UNITED are the only side who can stop Newcastle claiming Europe – so that should be that.
If Manchester City do the business against their arch-rivals in the FA Cup final next Saturday, it’s the Conference League for the Geordies.
And after the season from hell, from horrendous luck with injuries to Sandro Tonali’s bet ban, the Toon Army will lap it – and the continental lager – up with glee.
A topsy-turvy campaign from start to finish, it’s been one hell of a ride, leaving lots to ponder for Eddie Howe as they fly straight to Australia for a friendly against Tottenham.
For the Saudi owners who thought they’d cracked it after claiming fourth 12 months ago, a reality check.
Global domination still looks lightyears away – especially if Howe fails to sort this defence out.
Newcastle had already surpassed their most-ever goals in a season, and they looked home and hosed when streaking into a 3-0 lead by the break.
Yet they nearly conspired to throw it away as Brentford pegged them back to 3-2.
All of a sudden, with Man United taking the lead at Brighton, implosion was in the air.
But you’ve always got a chance with Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimares and those two, not for the first time here, combined late on to send the sunkissed away fans into raptures.
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The Prem’s great entertainers this term, the Magpies are the first team to score 80 goals or more and conceded at least 60 in a 38-match campaign since 1914-15.
And there could have been three goals inside the first 10 minutes here, with Ivan Toney seeing one ruled out for offside before the returning Nick Pope stuck out a leg to deny him soon after.
Newcastle soon found their rhythm but somehow failed to open the scoring when Joelinton delivered his Miss of the Season contender with a shocking effort wide from eight yards.
Twenty-one minutes in however and Toon were ahead via Harvey Barnes’ fifth of an injury-hit campaign.
Brazilian dynamo Bruno bagged the first of two assists with a brilliant cross, picking up the diminutive winger who had snuck in between two defenders and nodded home.
From there the Tynesiders blew the Bees away, seemingly wrapping up seventh by the break.
Isak had been quiet in the last two but showed once again why he is one of the world’s hottest properties.
First up the Swede showed he can create as well as he can score, putting it on a plate for Jacob Murphy with a stunning low ball across the six-yard box.
Seconds later and it was back to what he does best as he fired home his 21st Prem goal of the season.
Murphy won it straight back on the right and played inside to Bruno, who fed Isak, with the marksman firing first-time past Flekken into the onion bag.
The Toon Army – mostly topless, of course – were having a ball in the sunshine.
Yet those travelling fans have seen the flakiest of sides imaginable on the road all season, and after 48 minutes the hosts pegged one back when Vitaly Janelt converted Yoane Wissa’s cross.
Fifteen minutes later, after Isak had swept a great chance wide to make it 4-1, Pope was on hand with a great flying stop to deny Toney.
Yet there was nothing he could do to deny Wissa when the French forward bent an absolute stunner in from the top of the box.
However, the nerviest of endings was avoided when Bruno added to his two assists when the midfielder reacted quickest to bundle home Isak’s saved free-kick.
The away end belted out ‘Europe again ole ole’, and ‘Who the f**k are Man United’ as the clock ticked on.
Over to you, Man City.