Eddie Howe urges Newcastle not to allow season to 'tail off'
They need to maintain motivation as Champions League qualification is up for grabs
Last updated 3rd May 2025
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has ordered his players not to allow their season to "tail off" as they target a second major prize.
Whatever happens over the remaining four games of the campaign, it will always stand out for the Magpies as the one in which they ended their 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy when they lifted the Carabao Cup at Wembley in March.
But as they head for Brighton on Sunday, Champions League qualification for the second time in three years is up for grabs and head coach Howe knows they will only claim one of the five places up for grabs via the league if they maintain the standards which finally ended their silverware drought.
Asked how important it was to have their fate in their own hands, he said: "That's absolutely where you want to be. You want to be in control of your destiny and with four games to go, we are.
"But we're very aware that it can change in one round of games, so there's no let-up for us. We're keeping absolute focus, being really consistent with our training - as the players have been now for a long period of time. Our run of results has been really impressive.
"But what we don't want to do is tail off right at the end. There are tough fixtures to come, none more so than this first game, but we believe in the team."
Despite winning 20 of their last 26 games in all competitions, Newcastle's season to date has been black and white in more ways than one - they have tasted victory in 19 of their 34 league outings, but lost 10.
They have not won 20 top-flight fixtures in a single campaign since 2002-03 under Sir Bobby Robson, but equally no team since Arsenal in 2011-12 has finished third having been defeated so many times.
Brighton have proved something of a thorn in the side in recent seasons - the Magpies have never taken three points from a Premier League game at the Amex Stadium and the Seagulls have won on Tyneside twice this season.
Howe said: "Brighton are a very good team. It's a good atmosphere for them - I also think it's good for the away team, it's a lovely pitch always, it's a good environment, so we would back ourselves against anybody.
"But certainly we know we're going to have to play at our very best because it's never an easy game there and congratulations for what they've done over recent seasons because they've become a harder team to beat and certainly their style of play is very attractive."