Newcastle Utd travel to the GTech Stadium to face Brentford on Sunday afternoon with an armada of faithful Geordies taking to the Thames to follow them in the final premier league game of the season.
And this fixture, despite Sky Sports effort to convince the world that all eyes should be on Anfield for some obscure reason that only Sky Programmers can explain, this fixture is anything but a dead rubber.
There are permutations aplenty to digest come the final whistles being blown at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and the GTech, with Manchester Utd, Chelsea and ourselves chasing a European slot for next season.
With Eddie Howe’s team starting the day in seventh spot, they need need to equal or better Manchester Utd's result at Brighton to qualify for a two-legged Europa Conference playoff on August 22nd/29th.
However, this would be on the proviso that Erik ten Hag's side losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup Final next Saturday.
Should Manchester Utd win, they would be given a Europa League spot, pushing the sixth place finisher into the Europa Conference and depriving the team finishing in seventh of European football and it is also where the outcome at Stamford Bridge starts to impact
Were Chelsea to lose at home to Bournemouth and we win at Brentford, that would be enough to see Eddie Howe's side take sixth place on goal difference.
Sixth place would then ensure either a Europa League or a Europa Conference berth, depending on the FA Cup result.
It must be said however that it is our failure to pick up the necessary points in this last two fixtures that would have sealed a European place that has found us in this uncertain position in what has otherwise been a remarkable season for Howe and his squad.
European adventures, decent cup runs, and some outstanding individual performances and games have been mixed with an injury crisis never the like of which we have seen around St James’ Park in recent memory have made this a season of emotions but certainly not one to grumble about, unless of course that grumble is aimed at VAR!
Howe has some selection issues to resolve before naming his team. Does he recall Pope and Joelinton. Does Trippier start or if Schar is fit, does he simply move Krafth to fill the right back berth.
Injury concerns revolve around Anthony Gordon so Harvey Barnes could be his direct replacement if Gordon is ruled out. Meanwhile the availability of Callum Wilson continues to keep tongues wagging around Tyneside. If fit, he could find himself on the bench.
Brentford are without Rico Henry, Joshua DaSilva, Aaron Hickey and Ben Mee.
They do however have Ivan Toney available.
The match referee is Simon Hooper. His assistants are Adrian Holmes and Simon Long. Fourth official is Gavin Ward and on VAR will be Paul Tierney, assisted by Natalie Aspinall
The squad flies out to Australia immediately after today’s game where they will face Tottenham Hotspur at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Wednesday, followed by a game against the A-League All Stars at the City’s Marvel Stadium on Friday.
And this fixture, despite Sky Sports effort to convince the world that all eyes should be on Anfield for some obscure reason that only Sky Programmers can explain, this fixture is anything but a dead rubber.
There are permutations aplenty to digest come the final whistles being blown at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and the GTech, with Manchester Utd, Chelsea and ourselves chasing a European slot for next season.
With Eddie Howe’s team starting the day in seventh spot, they need need to equal or better Manchester Utd's result at Brighton to qualify for a two-legged Europa Conference playoff on August 22nd/29th.
However, this would be on the proviso that Erik ten Hag's side losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup Final next Saturday.
Should Manchester Utd win, they would be given a Europa League spot, pushing the sixth place finisher into the Europa Conference and depriving the team finishing in seventh of European football and it is also where the outcome at Stamford Bridge starts to impact
Were Chelsea to lose at home to Bournemouth and we win at Brentford, that would be enough to see Eddie Howe's side take sixth place on goal difference.
Sixth place would then ensure either a Europa League or a Europa Conference berth, depending on the FA Cup result.
It must be said however that it is our failure to pick up the necessary points in this last two fixtures that would have sealed a European place that has found us in this uncertain position in what has otherwise been a remarkable season for Howe and his squad.
European adventures, decent cup runs, and some outstanding individual performances and games have been mixed with an injury crisis never the like of which we have seen around St James’ Park in recent memory have made this a season of emotions but certainly not one to grumble about, unless of course that grumble is aimed at VAR!
Howe has some selection issues to resolve before naming his team. Does he recall Pope and Joelinton. Does Trippier start or if Schar is fit, does he simply move Krafth to fill the right back berth.
Injury concerns revolve around Anthony Gordon so Harvey Barnes could be his direct replacement if Gordon is ruled out. Meanwhile the availability of Callum Wilson continues to keep tongues wagging around Tyneside. If fit, he could find himself on the bench.
Brentford are without Rico Henry, Joshua DaSilva, Aaron Hickey and Ben Mee.
They do however have Ivan Toney available.
The match referee is Simon Hooper. His assistants are Adrian Holmes and Simon Long. Fourth official is Gavin Ward and on VAR will be Paul Tierney, assisted by Natalie Aspinall
The squad flies out to Australia immediately after today’s game where they will face Tottenham Hotspur at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Wednesday, followed by a game against the A-League All Stars at the City’s Marvel Stadium on Friday.
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