~Snip~
Newcastle's main goal is to get into the top 5 (this guarantees direct entry into the Champions League, as England is number one in the UEFA rankings and will receive an additional ticket) and now they look like favorites in this fight. The game in hand with Crystal Palace, I think it's at least one point, which already allows them to keep Chelsea, Aston Villa and City at a distance. The most positive thing for Newcastle is that, unlike many other teams, they are playing better towards the end of the season rather than experiencing a decline.
The EPL has a minimum quota of five teams in the UCL next season, the additional quota is based on the UEFA coefficient system which is calculated based on the best performance of the team in European competition.
Currently, Newcastle has the potential to replace Chelsea in 4th position because they still have one game in hand. However, if you look at the four teams that are trying to finish in the UCL zone (Chelsea, Newcastle, Man City and Aston Villa), every match must be considered as a final because every point lost will greatly affect their position at the end of the season.
Source of additional quota for EPL representatives in UCL:
Gilabola.com