Newcastle United

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Here's my quick assessment of Newcastle's Premier League season - and a return to my August predictions.

Pre-season prediction: 9th

Ended the season: 5th

A brilliant season from manager Eddie Howe and his team. The Toon Army celebrated their first domestic trophy for 70 years - and first silverware for 55 years - with the deserved Carabao Cup win against Liverpool at Wembley, and now they are back in the Champions League.

St James' Park was in a cold sweat on the final day as Newcastle lost to Everton, but the party started after Manchester United's controversial win over Aston Villa.

This will surely mean key duo Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes have no need to eye pastures new and will form the bedrock for further progress next season.

What I said in August: "Top 10 but still some uncertainty at Newcastle United."

Read my assessments of the other 19 teams here

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Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell says "the club is in great hands" as he prepares to leave by mutual consent after less than a year at St James' Park.

Mitchell, who joined the Magpies to replace Dan Ashworth in July 2024, will depart at the end of next month.

He had reunited with Newcastle CEO Darren Eales, who recruited him at Tottenham in 2014, but Eales will soon step down for health reasons.

"I'm leaving at a time that is right for me and the club, particularly with Darren Eales - someone who I have worked so closely with in my career - moving on soon," said Mitchell.

"I'd like to thank everyone at Newcastle United for their support over the last year, including Eddie Howe, Becky Langley, the players, staff, owners and fans. It has been an honour to be part of the club and to work with some incredible people.

"The club is in great hands on and off the pitch, and is in a fantastic position to continue building."

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Former Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye believes his old club can keep hold of their best players and challenge for further trophies next year after qualifying for the Champions League.

Newcastle claimed a fifth-placed finish on the final day of the season despite losing 1-0 at home to Everton.

This has boosted Eddie Howe's hopes of keeping the squad together and challenging for more trophies after claiming the Carabao Cup in March.

The likes of Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento have all attracted interest from other clubs. However, Cabaye believes Newcastle has the capacity to keep hold of their strongest assets.

He said: "Of course it's important to keep these players.

"When you do a great season, it's normal that your players are linked with other football clubs.

"But today Newcastle is one of the biggest clubs of the country. So I think they have got the capacity to keep them.

"Trust me, to play for Newcastle is something special - and keeping those players is going to be key for next season."

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Former Newcastle player John Anderson believes keeping Callum Wilson at the club is worthwhile if the deal is right.

Wilson is out of contract this summer, and it is not believed he has been offered an extension on his current deal.

The 33-year-old striker made 18 Premier League appearances this season - the majority from the bench - but failed to register a goal.

Anderson said: "There's stories flying around about a 'pay as you play' deal. I don't think that's a bad shout on the club's part.

"When you look at Wilson's history, the club have to protect themselves.

"He's been great when he plays, the majority of time when he plays he scores. The problem was he was never fit for long enough."

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Newcastle defender Dan Burn says he is excited about the Tyne-Wear derby next season and is hoping to face the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Champions League after the Magpies secured fifth spot in the Premier League.

Asked who his dream opponents would be this time around, Burn said: "I want to play against the best teams, so I'd love to play against Real Madrid, Barcelona. That's why you want to play Champions League football - it'll be exciting.

"It'll be good to even see Sunderland getting back to the Premier League. It's such a weird thing because I'm really excited about it.

"I shouldn't be, but those were the games when I was a kid. The derby days were the first fixtures I'd look for when they came out, so I wouldn't say that I'm happy for them coming up but I am happy that we get the derbies back."

Sunderland will play in the top flight for the first time since the 2016-17 season after coming from behind to beat Sheffield United 2-1 in the Championship play-off final.

While Burn is excited to have those derbies back, he believes Newcastle can push on further next season.

He said: "I don't think we're far away from sort of challenging at the top. The gaffer has mentioned that we've not strengthened in the last few seasons, so it will probably be a big summer to add players and keep it fresh.

"It's probably just going to be that change of mentality where we really get that belief that we should be up there.

"It would be great to have a good Champions League run and I'm sure that he would love to win another cup. I feel like now that we've won that first cup, it's broken the seal a bit and now we feel like we can really do that again."

Newcastle United are holding talks with England Under-21 forward Liam Delap as they look to convince the Ipswich Town player to join them instead of Everton, Manchester United or Chelsea. (TeamTalk, external)

The Magpies also have a serious interest in Brighton's Brazil forward Joao Pedro, 23. (i Paper - subscription needed, external)

Newcastle have decided against taking up the option to extend striker Callum Wilson's contract but have entered negotiations about a new incentive-based deal. (Athletic - subscription needed, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Matthew Raisbeck
BBC Radio Newcastle reporter

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A Wembley win and a top-five finish means this has been a truly special season - arguably the best they have ever had.

And, despite a stressful second half against Everton on Sunday, it is a campaign that did have its happy ending.

Losing at home after a disappointing performance but getting a favour from Manchester United - a club most Newcastle fans have zero affection for - was certainly a curious way to confirm their Champions League place.

Ironically, it was Man Utd who took the final European spot from the Magpies Europe 12 months ago when they won the FA Cup.

Relying on a result from elsewhere was reminiscent of the final day in 2017 when Newcastle beat Barnsley at St James' Park. Within seconds of Dwight Gayle making it three-nil, we received news of an Aston Villa equaliser against Brighton - a goal that handed the Magpies the Championship title.

That day, it was Jack Grealish for Aston Villa. This time, former Sunderland player Amad Diallo got the crucial opener for Man Utd against Villa on the weekend Newcastle's north-east rivals secured promotion back to the Premier League.

So next season will have Champions League football and there will be two derbies to either enjoy or endure - depending on your point of view!

Have your say on the Magpies on Total Sport North East every weeknight from 18:00, on BBC Radio Newcastle.

And subscribe to the Total Sport Newcastle United Podcast on BBC Sounds

John Bennett
BBC Final Score reporter at St James's Park

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It was difficult to know where to look during the final 10 minutes of Newcastle's dramatic final day.

As an end-to-end game continued, the Newcastle backroom staff and analysts sitting in the row in front of me were watching Manchester United v Aston Villa on a laptop, knowing that because of the nervy, poor performance against Everton, that was the game that would now decide their Champions League fate.

At the final whistle, Newcastle's players sank to their knees before Harvey Barnes ran from the bench to tell them the news from Old Trafford and many of the squad gathered around a tablet on the pitch to watch the end of the Villa game.

The Champions League anthem ringing around the stadium was the start of the celebrations and minutes later Dan Burn was walking out with the Carabao Cup to lead a lap of honour.

So many emotions in such a short time.

No wonder Eddie Howe looked a bit tired when he walked into the news conference room, but he was a proud man stressing that, pre-season, not many people had expected a top-five finish.

"We had a disrupted, turbulent summer and huge challenges," he told us. "But the players gave everything, a brilliant group to manage and they've got their rewards."

There was a bit of talk among journalists in the media room as we waited for Howe to arrive that this Everton result was proof that Newcastle desperately need some reinforcements and quality new additions this summer.

When asked about that, Howe stressed that their intention is to bring in new faces and do it fast. "Speed is key," he said. "We'll be doing our best to do things early."

So a busy few weeks of transfer speculation lie in wait as Newcastle look forward to the return of Champions League football next season.

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's 10 final day Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Nottingham Forest 0-1 Chelsea

• Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace

• Wolves 1-1 Brentford

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BBC Radio Newcastle's Matthew Raisbeck on the Magpies' season: "Just think about the season they have just had and where they are now - forget about how we got there.

"They finished in the Champions League places and won a trophy - those two things together surely means this has to be the most successful and the best season.

"To do that after three transfer windows without improving the starting XI and being forced to sell players last summer while rivals strengthened - the way they have turned this season around in December has been truly remarkable.

"They deserve all of the credit and gratitude they are getting. These are special times for Newcastle United and we are witnessing history."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

We asked for your views and pictures after Newcastle secured a return to the Champions League despite a final-day defeat at home by Everton.

Here are some of your replies:

Jaime: Always knew the last game against Everton would be super hard. Jordan Pickford in goal can be the villain and they are a difficult side to play with David Moyes' style. Great season though. If you'd have told us that we have done this after five games, nobody would've believed it. We build and we move forward.

Mal: Talk about 'skin of our teeth'! All I can say - as my parents bought me my first Newcastle shirt for Christmas on 1955 - is … I am definitely getting too old for this!

Michael: I was expecting a tough game us with everything to gain and Everton out there to enjoy themselves and make it hard for us to secure Champions League football. But, we were not at our best and Alexander Isak looks to me like he doesn't want to be at Newcastle anymore with his past last few performances. Teams are circling around him and the transfer window is on the horizon.

Geoff: I've supported Newcastle for 70 years. They always, always make things difficult for themselves. The amount of time I've seen them well beaten by teams much lower in the league. Forget all that though. We've had an incredible season. Fifth in the Premier League, Carabo Cup winners and, to cap it all, into the Champions League next year. We must build on this. We need multiple signings and sell the ones who are patently not good enough. Overall though, very well done to Eddie and his Toon team.

Mark: First purchase of the summer absolutely has to be some new boots for Dan Burn!

Robert: Need a lot more creativity in the team. Anthony Gordon has only one solution - relying on his speed.

Bryan: Really disappointing final game. Absolutely delighted to scrape into the Champions League but an inability to beat the likes of Everton doesn't bode well for a successful campaign next season without major recruitment. We need a young pacey right-footed centre-back, a skilled right winger and another striker to move to the next level. Having said that we've managed a better season than I expected.

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Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, speaking after sealing Champions League qualification: "It feels great, the achievement is huge. Naturally, when you lose the game there's a feeling of disappointment but I think we have to override that with [the fact that] over the 38 games, we deserved to qualify for the competition. It's a huge moment for the club."

On the season: "So much. Throughout this year there have been so many things, not just mentally but tactically and the game evolves so quickly. It's been a brilliant Premier League season. I think we had a difficult summer, I think there was an overhang of that early in the season.

"We had to fight really hard to overcome that and come back in the manner that we did, we can't thank the players enough this year. We've got a great group who give their all in every game and that's all we can ask for. Today, I think we did that. We tried to win the game, but it wasn't to be."

On finding out Newcastle had qualified: "We were getting updated but I didn't want it to dominate my focus. It was only when it looked like we were struggling to score in that second half and our result was in jeopardy that the other results became more important for us, but all the way through the game we were still trying to find a way to score and claw ourselves a way back into the game.

"I think there was a point with about five minutes to go that it looked like barring an amazing last five or 10 minutes, we were there."

Here more from Howe on the Newcastle feed on BBC Sounds

John Bennett
BBC Final Score reporter at St James' Park

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The Newcastle players and their families are on the pitch celebrating, with one of the heroes of this wonderful season Dan Burn holding the EFL Cup.

They're in disbelief that they've made the Champions League despite a really nervy, edgy performance and a disappointing defeat.

There were crazy scenes at the end. The Newcastle players sank to their knees thinking they were out of the top 5 before Harvey Barnes ran on to tell his team-mates the score at Old Trafford and then the players gathered around a screen on a tablet on the pitch before finally getting a chance to celebrate.

The Champions League anthem was on the tannoy straight away. What a season for Newcastle but they've put their fans through some tense moments tonight.

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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Newcastle United's players got the message loud and clear before kick-off with a giant banner stretching the length of the famous Gallowgate End reading: "You entered the pitch as players, you left it as legends."

It could all have been so different when Everton led and Aston Villa were drawing at Manchester United.

But events elsewhere ensured Newcastle's players and manager Eddie Howe were able to take a glorious lap of honour at the final whistle and bask in the afterglow of a campaign that brought success at home and a passage into the Champions League.

Newcastle were nowhere near their best as Everton controlled the game in front of an increasingly frantic St James' Park crowd, and the Geordie nerves were really jangling when Carlos Alcaraz stole in on Vitaliy Mykolenko's cross to beat Nick Pope with 25 minutes left.

There was a stunned silence until huge roars swept round the stadium in an attempt to shake Newcastle out of the anxiety that had gripped them from kick-off.

In the end, the loudest cheers came from those following events at Old Trafford, as Manchester United's belated attempt to secure some joy from a dismal season by beating Aston Villa spread all the way to Tyneside.

There was still a short wait after the final whistle until Villa's crucial defeat was confirmed, allowing Newcastle and their supporters to officially celebrate qualification for the Champions League.

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It went right down to the final day but the European places for next season are now finally confirmed.

Manchester City and Chelsea's wins saw them secure third and fourth respectively, while Newcastle took the fifth and final Champions League spot despite a final day loss to Everton.

Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest's defeats mean they miss out on the top five but will be heading on European adventures in the Europa and Conference Leagues respectively.

Chelsea's win means there will not be an additional spot for eighth place so Brighton's victory at Tottenham does not creep them into Europe.

So the curtain has come down on Newcastle's season and the Magpies will return to the Champions League despite finishing with a defeat against Everton at St James' Park.

It may have been made more nervous than Magpies fans hoped for on the final day, but ending their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy and returning to Europe's top club competitions mean it has been a glorious season for Eddie Howe and his players.

How are you feeling after the game and at the end of a long campaign?

Have your say on Newcastle's performance and season - and send us some pics of the celebrations!

Come back to this page on later to find a selection of your replies