Alexander Isak headed Newcastle United to their first Premier League win in five games as they beat Arsenal 1-0 to dent the Gunners’ title hopes.

The decisive moment came in the 12th minute when Isak combined with Anthony Gordon, heading the ball into the roof of the net to continue his fine form at St. James’ Park.

Arsenal rarely threatened throughout, registering just one shot on target, which came in the first half when Mikel Merino saw his effort blocked on the line by Lewis Hall. 

Isak threatened a second for the hosts on the hour mark, but his attempt stung the palms of David Raya, while Declan Rice’s deflected strike narrowly evaded the far post just under a minute later.

The win moved Newcastle into eighth place in the table, while Arsenal remain third but could find themselves eight points off the top should Manchester City beat Bournemouth later on Saturday.

Data Debrief: Alexander the Great

Having marked his return from a toe injury with two goals in as many games, Isak's return to form for Newcastle is a welcome boost for Eddie Howe.

The Swede has now scored in three successive appearances in all competitions for Newcastle for the first time since January last season, and has been directly involved in 18 goals in his last 17 Premier League starts at St. James’ Park (16 goals, two assists).

Isak's header also saw the Magpies claim a third win in their last four Premier League home games against Arsenal (L1), as many as their previous 23 beforehand (W3 D8 L12).

For Arsenal, meanwhile, their poor run continued. After losing just one of their first 25 Premier League games in 2024 (W21 D3), they have since lost two of their last three (D1).

The Gunners have also now lost successive away matches in the league for the first time since May 2022.

Newcastle United booked their place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at St James' Park.

Eddie Howe's side struck twice in the space of three first-half minutes through Alexander Isak and an Axel Disasi own goal, which proved enough to seal their progress.

Just three days after Chelsea overcame Newcastle in the Premier League, Joelinton struck the post from an Isak cross early on Wednesday, while Renato Veiga's shot deflected narrowly wide at the other end.

Newcastle broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute when Chelsea were caught in possession at the back, with Sandro Tonali finding Isak, who calmly slotted past Filip Jorgensen.

Isak was involved again when he latched onto a quickly taken free-kick before his deflected cross was helped on by Joe Willock, before Disasi turned the ball into his own net just three minutes later.

Chelsea looked to respond and controlled large periods of the second half as Joao Felix went closest to scoring when he chipped marginally wide in the 75th minute.

William Osula almost added a third for Newcastle following a swift counter that culminated in the substitute striking the post, but the two-goal cushion was sufficient enough to get the Magpies over the line.

Data Debrief: Magpies march into another quarter-final

Newcastle find themselves in extremely familiar territory, after progressing to their fourth EFL Cup quarter-final in the last five seasons.

The Magpies' only win from their previous six matches across all competitions came against AFC Wimbledon in the previous round, but they upset the form book here.

Now unbeaten in each of their last 12 EFL Cup matches when scoring first, Howe's side condemned Chelsea to only a second defeat in 11 games.

Eddie Howe paid tribute to Newcastle United's fans for their support of Sandro Tonali, who made his Premier League return in the 2-1 win over Tottenham.

Tonali came on as a 68th-minute substitute for his first league appearance since serving a 10-month ban for breaching betting regulations.

Many Italy-themed flags were on display before the game in support of the midfielder, who also appeared from the bench in the midweek Carabao Cup clash with Nottingham Forest, while a banner read: 'Midfield maestro from Milano'.

And Howe was delighted by the Toon Army's response on the day when Alexander Isak's 78th-minute strike settled the contest.

"I didn't know that was going to happen with the wall of flags, so it was a brilliant surprise," Howe said. "Visually, it was incredible.

"Sandro was emotional and his performance when he came on was outstanding. It was just amazing from the fans, it does not surprise me, but it's so important that the relationship between players and supporters is so strong.

"It was very different to [him coming on in the] Nottingham Forest game. We were in need of a spark and I thought he gave us that."

Howe also spoke of his desire to put what was a relatively subdued transfer window behind Newcastle, with the Magpies notably failing with several bids to land Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi.

"I think it's always important to try to build momentum in your season, and it's been a turbulent time for the club off the pitch throughout this last transfer window," he added.

"But that's shut now, so hopefully we can just concentrate on the football and get the players playing as well as they can."

Meanwhile, matchwinner Isak also saluted Newcastle's supporters after opening his account for the campaign to secure all three points.

"It is my first goal for the season so it's a good feeling to score and get the win," he told Sky Sports.

"Generally, we weren't expecting to have too much of the ball. We wanted to be dangerous on the counter-attack. It wasn't the most beautiful game from our side, but we defended really well and scored two, so that's good.

"We've always felt like we have that extra energy at home. We have spoken about using that. In the second half, when we had a bit of a dip in our performance, we got some energy. Small changes made a big difference and really helped us get the win."

Alexander Isak’s late strike punished a wasteful Tottenham Hotspur display as Newcastle United emerged 2-1 winners in an enthralling encounter at St. James’ Park.

The hosts took the lead against the run of play in the 37th minute as Harvey Barnes struck inside the box to give the Magpies a half-time advantage.

After dominating for much of the game, Spurs were gifted their just rewards in the second half as substitute Brennan Johnson saw his effort turned home by Dan Burn.

But Isak struck the decisive blow 12 minutes from time with a simple finish to hand Eddie Howe’s side another victory on home soil this term.

Newcastle’s triumph sees them maintain their unbeaten start to the season and go fourth in the early standings, meanwhile, Spurs sit 10th, just inside the top half. 

Data Debrief: Isak off the mark in smash and grab

Newcastle were largely second best in the encounter, registering just nine shots compared to Spurs' 20, with Isak notching the decisive blow in the contest.

Since the start of last season, the Swede has scored 15 Premier League goals at St. James’ Park, with only Erling Haaland (18 at Etihad Stadium) and Cole Palmer (16 at Stamford Bridge) scoring more at a single venue in this time.

It was the Magpies' 26th Premier League victory over Tottenham, their joint-most against a single opponent in the competition (also 26 v Aston Villa), and have now won their first two home matches of a league season for the first time since the 2009-10 Championship campaign.

Spurs, however, have now lost four of their last six away Premier League games (W1 D1), more than their first 15 on the road under Ange Postecoglou combined (W6 D6 L3).

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe claims this year’s summer transfer window is the toughest he has been through. 

The Magpies have attempted to be active in the market but, despite the wealth at their disposal, have so far been unable to make the major moves they would have liked. 

Their situation was complicated by a need to sell players in order to comply with the Premier League’s financial rules, with youngsters Yanukba Minteh and Elliot Anderson leaving in big-money switches to Brighton and Nottingham Forest respectively. 

Newcastle have signed Lloyd Kelly, Odysseas Vlachodimos and William Osula, though have so far been frustrated in their attempts to sign England international Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, while they reportedly remain in the market for a winger. 

“It’s been the most difficult window I’ve experienced,” said Howe ahead of Sunday’s match against his former club Bournemouth. 

“The June part of the window was incredibly difficult and now this part hasn’t been exactly easy either. It’s always going to be difficult because you’re competing for a very small pool of players and the competition is high from other clubs.” 

When asked directly about the chances of signing Guehi, Howe replied: “There’s no news. I’m a step removed, but I’m aware there’s still work going on behind the scenes.” 

Kieran Trippier, meanwhile, has been linked with a move away from St James’ Park and, while Howe would like to keep the right-back, he conceded there are no guarantees. 

“My wish is Kieran stays here and continues to play for us,” he added. “But I can never answer with absolute certainty because it’s football and the window is always unpredictable. We take every case individually and try to make the right decision for the player and the club. 

“Tripps is a really valuable member of the squad. His professionalism has been first class. Since coming here, he’s played a huge role in changing the narrative around the team. He galvanised the squad from the first day.” 

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo 

Semenyo has scored six goals in his last 13 Premier League starts for Bournemouth. His goal against Nottingham Forest last week was his 10th in the competition overall and he is the seventh Ghanaian to score 10+ goals. The only African countries with more players on 10 goals are Nigeria (17), Senegal (14) and Ivory Coast (10). 

Newcastle United – Alexander Isak 

Newcastle were starved of possession after going down to 10 men against Southampton last week and, even though they won, chances were at a premium for star striker Isak.  

However, against a Bournemouth team that like to get on the front foot, the Sweden forward will be hoping for more of a look in. 

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW 

Howe has never beaten former club Bournemouth in the Premier League in four attempts (D3 L1). The Cherries are one of only three sides Howe has faced but failed to defeat, along with Luton (D1 L1) and Man City (D1 L15). 

Bournemouth, however, have won none of their last eight Premier League games in August (D3 L5) since a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in 2022. In those eight winless games, the Cherries have scored three times while shipping 23. 

Newcastle’s away Premier League matches last season saw 76 goals scored (36 for, 40 against), the most by a team in a season since Chelsea in 2019-20 (77 – 39 for, 38 against). Eight of their 10 away games in 2024 have seen at least four goals scored with an overall average of 4.4 goals per game. 

The visitors are looking to win their opening two Premier League matches in a season for the first time since the 1997-98 campaign under Kenny Dalglish. 

Having kept a clean sheet in their first Premier League meeting with Bournemouth (1-0 in November 2015), Newcastle have conceded at least once in each of their last 11 against the Cherries, who have won just one of their last nine Premier League games against the Magpies. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY 

Bournemouth – 32.6% 

Newcastle – 42.6% 

Draw – 24.8% 

Newcastle produced a rampant first half display in their penultimate pre-season outing as they thrashed La Liga side Girona 4-0 on Friday. 

The Magpies blitzed their opponents in the opening 45 minutes, with Sean Longstaff, Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon giving the hosts a 3-0 lead after just 15 minutes. 

Longstaff notched his brace before the interval to secure the Magpies' first win in their two pre-season fixtures taking place at St. James' Park this weekend. 

In a frantic start to proceedings, Longstaff opened the scoring in the third minute, with Murphy adding Newcastle's second with a fierce strike off the crossbar. 

A mistake by David Lopez allowed Alexander Isak to pick out Gordon two minutes later, composing himself before sending a left-footed strike into the far corner. 

Isak had the chance to increase the hosts' advantage in the 21st minute after being brought down in the box, but saw his penalty saved by Paulo Gazzaniga. 

The first half rout was complete after Joelinton saw his headed effort hit the crossbar, only for the rebound to be volleyed home by Longstaff. 

Murphy and Isak squandered opportunities to increase their advantage in the second half, but the damage was done in the first 45 against the La Liga side. 

Newcastle conclude their pre-season preparations against French side Brest on Saturday ahead of their Premier League opener against Southampton next weekend. 

Data Debrief: Magpies on fire, but should have been more

Newcastle would have been expecting a tougher test from a side who will play Champions League football next season, and should have won by a more handsome scoreline. 

The Magpies recorded an expected goals (xG) of 3.24, an underperformance of 0.76, with 11 of their 20 shots on target, while also missing four big chances. 

Eddie Howe is hopeful that Newcastle United can bring in a new signing soon after their resounding 4-1 win over Urawa Reds in Japan on Wednesday.

Alexander Isak opened the scoring early on before Rio Nitta levelled for the J. League side. Nick Pope then saved a penalty before Jacob Murphy scored a brace, netting either side of half-time.

Lewis Hall then rounded off the scoring just after the hour mark to ensure Newcastle made it two wins from two in pre-season.

Howe was keen to protect his players during the game as Isak was removed early on, but he was also forced to play Joelinton in defence for the final 10 minutes without a ready replacement.

Newcastle are looking to expand their squad depth, and when asked about transfer plans, Howe gave a small hint that someone could be coming soon.

"I hope so, but I have no idea how close things are," Howe said after the game.

"I hope so. We are working hard to make things happen."

Newcastle beat Hull City 2-0 in their opening pre-season match on Saturday and are currently in Japan for their tour.

The Magpies will face Yokohama before flying home to host Girona and Brest at St. James' Park, and Howe was pleased with what he saw in their second friendly as they step up their preparations for the new Premier League season.

"I thought it was a good game and good conditions to improve our fitness levels," he added.

"It was a little bit cooler at kick-off but still a hot and humid day. It has certainly helped the players, but we still have lots to improve on. I thought mentally we could not complain about the players."

Newcastle United overcame Tottenham on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Wednesday's controversial friendly in Melbourne, just three days after the end of the Premier League season.

A crowd of 78,419 packed into Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch two of the Premier League's top seven face off in a post-season game which had been criticised on player welfare grounds. 

James Maddison celebrated being named in England's preliminary Euro 2024 squad by firing home Spurs' opener after 32 minutes, before his Three Lions team-mate Kieran Tripper was substituted after just 36 minutes.

Alexander Isak levelled from close range on the stroke of half-time, and the game went straight to spot-kicks after neither team was able to force a second-half winner. 

Bryan Gil was denied by Mark Gillespie from Tottenham's first kick, with the nine subsequent attempts all successful as the Magpies triumphed 5-4.

After the game, Newcastle boss Howe moved to allay fears over Trippier's condition, saying his withdrawal was planned.

"We spoke with Kieran and thought the best thing to do was for him to start the game," Howe said.

"He's still in the early stages of recovery from his calf problem, we didn't want to take risks with him so half an hour was the aim. No injury there."  

Ange Postecoglou, meanwhile, immediately turned his attentions towards the transfer window after failing to oversee a win in his native Australia.

"Last year, it certainly benefited us having a couple in early and having all the whole squad for pre-season," he said. 

"Everyone wants to do business early, everyone is keen to bring players in but the reality of it is it usually takes a little bit of time.

"But the good thing for us is we know what we need to do, we've had the plan in place for quite a while and it's just about now going through that process." 

Erling Haaland has won the Premier League Golden Boot for a second straight season.

Manchester City striker Haaland finished with 27 goals from 31 appearances this season, finishing five goals ahead of Chelsea attacking midfielder Cole Palmer, who emerged as a surprise contender after leaving the Etihad Stadium for Stamford Bridge ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

Haaland scored a single-season record 36 goals in his debut year in England and while he did not match those numbers this time around, he ultimately prevailed with a comprehensive five-goal advantage over Palmer.

Newcastle striker Alexander Isak was in third place with 21 goals. There was a three-way tie for fourth place on 19 goals between Dominic Solanke, Phil Foden and Ollie Watkins.

Mohamed Salah (18 goals) and Son Heung-min (17) were also prominent high finishers, with Bukayo Saka and Jarrod Bowen joined on 16 by Jean-Philippe Mateta on the final day of the season when he netted a hat-trick in Crystal Palace's 5-0 win over Aston Villa.

While Haaland claims award glory, it was Foden (two) and Rodri who scored the goals as Man City beat West Ham 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday to secure a historic fourth successive Premier League trophy.

But Haaland's goals had been crucial to getting City into a title-winning position.

The 23-year-old started the season with a bang, scoring eight goals in his first six top-flight appearances, including a hat-trick in the 5-1 win over Fulham in early September.

While he battled an injury and a brief mid-season dip in form, doubles against Manchester United and Chelsea kept the Norway forward in contention.

And Haaland ultimately pulled away from his Golden Boot rivals in the closing stages of the campaign.

The striker scored four times in the 5-1 home win over Wolves this month to all but end the contest even before his pivotal double against Tottenham on Tuesday put Man City on the brink of title glory.

Haaland matches the likes of Harry Kane, Salah and Robin van Persie as players to win the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons.

Thierry Henry has won the most Golden Boot crowns with four, while Kane, Salah and Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer all have three apiece, with Haaland now just one behind that group.

The Playmaker of the Season award for the most Premier League assists went to Aston Villa striker Watkins.

As well as scoring his 19 goals, Watkins racked up 13 assists in a fine individual season, helping Villa to Champions League qualification.

He is the first Aston Villa player to win the award since it began in the 2017-18 season.

Watkins finished two assists ahead of Palmer (11), who comes second in both awards, while Kevin De Bruyne was part of a large group in a tie for third with 10 assists.

Man City's De Bruyne is a three-time winner and came close to topping the creative standings again despite missing much of the season through injury.

The Golden Glove winner is Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, who finished with a final tally of 16 clean sheets.

He is the Gunners’ first winner of the award since Petr Cech also kept 16 clean sheets for the Gunners in the 2015-16 season. Wojciech Szczęsny is another former Arsenal winner.

Everton keeper Jordan Pickford was second to Raya with 13 shutouts.

Those two shot-stoppers did battle on the final day, as Arsenal won 2-1 against Everton, but it was not enough to stop the celebrations for Haaland and City.

Newcastle United kept their European hopes alive as they ended the 2023-2024 Premier League season with a thrilling 4-2 victory at Brentford.

The Magpies will qualify for the Europa Conference League if Manchester City beat cross-city rivals Manchester United in Saturday's FA Cup final.

After a positive start from Brentford, the visitors took the lead on 21 minutes through Harvey Barnes' header, and their advantage was soon doubled through Jacob Murphy.

Alexander Isak slotted beyond the goalkeeper to make it 3-0 before half-time, but the hosts responded after the interval thanks to goals from Vitaly Janelt and Yoane Wissa.

Bruno Guimaraes got Newcastle's fourth in the 78th minute to ensure the Geordies claimed the three points as they end the season in seventh place, whilst Brentford finish in 16th.

The Bees thought they had made the perfect start inside two minutes but after a VAR check Ivan Toney’s effort was ruled out by referee Simon Hooper for offside.

Toney continued to search for a goal against his former club but was denied by the outstretched leg of Nick Pope.

It was Newcastle, though, who should have taken the lead before the 10-minute mark as Isak set up an unmarked Joelinton from close range, but the Brazilian failed to convert.

The visitors then broke the deadlock on 21 minutes, with Barnes darting into the six-yard box to meet a delightful delivery by Guimaraes and head the visitors ahead.

Sean Longstaff thought he had quickly doubled their advantage, only to be flagged offside, but Murphy was not denied when he latched onto Isak's exquisite pass across the penalty area to make it 2-0.

Just two minutes later, Isak grabbed his 21st goal of the season when he fired past Mark Flekken.

The Brentford stopper ensured Isak did not extend Newcastle's advantage further with a smart stop to deny the Swedish international before half-time.

The home side responded after the interval and Janelt reduced the deficit, striking home after being picked out by Wissa.

Pope clawed away Toney’s header before Wissa curled a superb effort past the goalkeeper to set up a tense finale for the visitors.

The nerves, though, were soon settled when Guimaraes followed up a free-kick to ensure the points returned to Tyneside.

Brentford's home defence breached

Brentford end the season comfortably above the bottom three, after arguably their toughest campaign yet in the Premier League, having contended with key players and the talk of a potential relegation battle at the turn of the year.

The Bees could not finish on a high - instead they looked beaten before the half-time whistle, although they scored twice in the second half to test Newcastle's resolve.

Going into the match with a recent impressive home record, including having kept a clean sheet in the past three, Newcastle's attacking capabilities were too much for the hosts to handle.

It means Thomas Frank will have to wait to earn his 100th win in charge of the club, whilst Toney ends the season having not scored in his past 12 league games. However, Mathias Jensen did become the third Brentford player to reach 100 Premier League appearances.

Toon await news of European qualification

It has been an entertaining season for Newcastle, with more than 80 goals scored and over 60 goals conceded.

And the entertainment continued here. After being relieved that Toney's early goal was chalked off for offside, the Toon established a three-goal lead at the break mainly thanks to the individual brilliance of Isak.

It was a rare win on their travels for Eddie Howe’s side, whose patchy away form has proved costly in their quest to earn a top-six finish, with St James' Park providing the majority of their points.

The Magpies will now have a close eye on next weekend's FA Cup final between Manchester rivals United and City.

Vincent Kompany refused to admit defeat as Burnley slipped closer to Premier League relegation after a 4-1 thrashing by Newcastle United at Turf Moor.

The Clarets' heavy defeat, coupled with Nottingham Forest's 3-1 win over Sheffield United on Saturday, leaves Burnley five points adrift of safety with just two games remaining.

Burnley's loss was their 22nd in the Premier League this season (W5 D9), only in 2009-10 (24) and 1975-76 (23) have the Clarets lost more times in a Football League campaign.

Yet Kompany attempted to find the positives in the performance, suggesting there is still a chance his side take it to the final day against fellow relegation-battlers Forest.

"In the end I am not beaten or defeated by it personally in terms of my attitude," said Kompany.

"They are a good side with phenomenal attacking players, midfielders comfortable on the ball and aggressive in other situations.

"We never let this game die, the result and score was done but we kept going, kept threatening and that is all I can ask my players to do.

"For us, we have to look at that [next] Tottenham game as the final game of the season. If the opposition teams lose and we win, what are you going to write then? That's all it is.

"If they lose and we win, all of a sudden we have a different discussion before the next game. If we get a bonus with a game against Forest, then that's our final, that's how we have to look at it."

Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak – the latter who saw a second-half penalty saved, too – were all on target in a home humbling for Burnley.

Dara O'Shea's late consolation goal mattered for little as this disappointing result was made more painful by Forest winning at Bramall Lane.

Nuno Espirito Santo's 17th-placed side fell behind to Ben Brereton Diaz's penalty, only for Callum Hudson Odoi's brace and a second-half finish from Ryan Yates to save the day.

Blades manager Chris Wilder was left aggrieved, though, as his already-relegated United wanted a free-kick for a foul on Brereton Diaz in the build-up to Yates' goal that made it 2-1.

"I will let you put two and two together. I think it is a pretty easy, comfortable decision for everybody to make because of the situation," Wilder said, seemingly referencing Forest's recent problems with refereeing.

"I will let you decide on that situation. I'm not going to get dragged into that debate, a foul is a foul, whether it is a push in any part of the pitch.

“For me it is a foul, people tell me the game has moved on, you could say Ben needs to be stronger, but there is no need for him to go down like that, you can see he has two hands in his back.

"They score from that opportunity, we go 2-1 down."

Forest's top-flight safety could be secure before they face Chelsea next Saturday, with Burnley needing victory away against Tottenham to take their survival hopes to the final day.

Chris Wilder feels his Sheffield United side's "complete lack of leadership" has been a key factor in their relegation from the Premier League.

The Blades will be playing Championship football next term after a dismal one-season return to the Premier League in which they have won just three of their 35 league outings.

Sheffield United's 25th league defeat of the season confirmed their relegation as they were hammered 5-1 away at Newcastle United on Saturday despite Anel Ahmedhodzic putting them in front at St James' Park.

A drubbing ensued after Alexander Isak's leveller, and the final whistle condemned the Blades to the second tier with three games to spare.

In Wilder's view, the club needs to rectify a lack of on-field guidance if the Blades are to bounce straight back up, embodied by the tough outing at St James' Park.

Wilder told the BBC's Match of the Day. "There are plenty of games where we have been put to bed early but today we should have been 3-0 up at half-time. I'm scratching my head that it was 1-1.

"Newcastle up their game and get a head of steam. Then our old mistakes start to fall in and goals go from two to three to four to five pretty quickly.

"There's a reason why that happens. It's an incredibly young side and there is a complete lack of leadership out there. I thought at times I was going to have a heart attack in terms of trying to get the messages on."

Wilder acknowledged there could be tough times ahead for the club, though he hopes he retains the trust of the fans having been brought in for his second spell as Blades manager midway through the season following the sacking of Paul Heckingbottom.

"It's going to be a tough summer for everybody," Wilder continued. "We have not been good enough. The league has been too powerful for us right the way through the season.

"Sheffield United is a really good football club. I think everyone understands that but it's been a really poor season.

"I've still got another year left of my contract. I'd like to think that the supporters can trust me. I'm enthusiastic and committed along with my coaching staff to get it right. We know exactly what direction we need to go, what the culture is going to look like, what pre-season is going to look like."

Sheffield United were relegated from the Premier League following a 5-1 thrashing by Newcastle United at St James' Park on Saturday.

Alexander Isak netted in both halves as the Magpies came from behind, with Bruno Guimaraes helping to complete the turnaround after Anel Ahmedhodzic's early opener.

Callum Wilson rounded off the scoring after Ben Osborn's own goal had taken the game away from Chris Wilder's side, sending them back to the Championship.

Newcastle stay in seventh place, four points above West Ham in eighth, while the Blades sit bottom of the table after a 25th league defeat of the season.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has defended Sheffield United, acknowledging it has been a bad season, but dismissing that the Blades do not have a positive future.

A midweek defeat to Manchester United means the Blades can be relegated back to the Championship should they lose to Newcastle United on Saturday.

The Blades are 10 points from safety with four games left, but even a point would not realistically be enough given they have a goal difference of -59, 41 worse than Nottingham Forest’s -18.

To make matters worse, the Blades will start their next season in the Championship with a two-point deduction for financial discrepancies.

"We're not saying everything is great," said Wilder.

"What we are saying is there is a load of optimism about the future of the football club.

"It's a poor season, not a poor football club. We've been in far worse positions than this as a football club, certainly over my time as a supporter, player and manager.

"So, we'll come again if the inevitable happens on the weekend. We'll try our best, as we did, like we did on Wednesday night at Old Trafford, to get a result for our club and our supporters – who yet again were magnificent."

Newcastle, meanwhile, are in the hunt for European football, and Eddie Howe wants a response following the 2-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in midweek.

Howe said: "We must learn and absorb all the lessons from Wednesday. Every game is so difficult, it is up to us to go into the game with the right mentality and let our players express themselves in the right way. We have to finish the season strongly, we are under no illusions on how important these fixtures are."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Newcastle United – Alexander Isak

Isak has scored in each of his last six Premier League home games, with only Andrew Cole (eight in 1993-94) and Alan Shearer (15 in 1996-97) netting in more consecutively for Newcastle in the competition.

Sheffield United – Ben Brereton Diaz

Brereton Diaz scored in Sheff Utd’s 4-2 defeat at Old Trafford – his fifth Premier League goal of the season since he joined on loan from Villarreal in January. With Oli McBurnie set to miss the rest of the season, Diaz will be the Blades’ biggest attacking threat.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE UNITED WIN

Newcastle are overwhelming favourites, and it is no surprise given Howe have lost just one of their last 25 Premier League games kicking off at 3pm on Saturday (W16 D8), going down 1-0 at Luton Town earlier this season. 

The Magpies have scored in all 17 of their Premier League home games this season, with their 43 goals in total their most at St James’ Park in a top-flight campaign since 1996-97 (54).

Newcastle have lost none of their eight Premier League home games against promoted sides under Howe (W3 D5), with their last such defeat coming against Leeds United under Steve Bruce in January 2021. They also beat Sheffield United 8-0 in the reverse fixture at Bramall Lane – the most goals they have ever scored against an opponent in a single Premier League campaign is 10, doing so against the Blades’ rivals Sheffield Wednesday in 1999-00.

The Blades have lost three of their four Premier League away games against Newcastle, failing to score in each defeat. The exception was a 1-0 victory under Neil Warnock in November 2006.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Newcastle United – 71.6%

Sheffield United – 9.7%

Draw – 18.7%

Eddie Howe admitted Newcastle United's performance in the 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Wednesday was "way off" the one that saw them thump Tottenham in their previous game.

Howe's men hammered Spurs 4-0 in their last match, but they never got close to matching the attacking verve from that outing and a Jean-Philippe Mateta double condemned the Magpies to defeat at Selhurst Park.

Newcastle didn't even manage a shot on target until the 87th minute, accumulating just 0.42 xG (expected goals) as the likes of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon struggled to make an impact.

Only against Manchester City in August (one) have Newcastle recorded fewer shots on target in a Premier League game this season than their two against Palace, and Howe was critical of his team's display in the loss, one that all but ends their hopes of finishing in the top four.

"[It is a] bad day for us," Howe told Newcastle's club media.

"I thought we were disappointing today, especially in the first 60 minutes. We were way off our levels against Tottenham and our best levels.

"I thought technically we didn't deliver a good performance, and out of possession I don't think it was a particularly good performance either."

Newcastle were unlocked twice for Mateta to score by a Palace side who themselves only generated 0.88 xG.

Howe was left frustrated by the manner in which his side conceded, adding: "I think we'll be disappointed with our performance technically today, and that's probably epitomised by the two goals where we're disappointed with how we've given them the ball in those situations and then how we defended.

"I think the goals sum up aspects of our performance where there was some good, lots of moments that could have led to opportunities, but we were slow to shoot around the box," he said.

The defeat, combined with Manchester United's 4-2 win over Sheffield United, means Newcastle drop to seventh, while eighth-placed West Ham are two points behind with a game in hand.

Newcastle have now lost eight of their last 11 Premier League away games, while they have lost on four occasions in London in the league this term, only doing so more times in a Premier League season in 2000-01 and 2005-06 (both five).

It's been a disappointing season for Howe and his side, especially compared to the heroics of last term when Newcastle finished in the top four, and the Magpies boss knows there's work to be done to get back to those levels.

"It's a day that we have to take our punishment, deal with it, and then try and improve," Howe continued. "It's frustrating because we know we're capable of much better."