Howe hopeful of sealing Champions League spot following Brighton draw

Newcastle United brag Eddie Howe remained hopeful that his squad would decorativeness successful the Champions League places aft sealing a precocious gully against Brighton connected Sunday.

Brighton were connected people for each 3 points aft Yankuba Minteh, who was connected the books astatine Newcastle but did not marque an appearance, scored successful the 28th minute.

But the Magpies levelled the crippled precocious connected done Alexander Isak’s penalty, which was fixed pursuing a VAR reappraisal for handball against Yasin Ayari.

Indeed, the effect ended a tally of 20 consecutive Premier League games without a gully for Newcastle (W14 L6) since a 3-3 gully with Liverpool backmost successful December.

The Magpies are 4th successful the array with 3 games of their play remaining, knowing a apical 5 decorativeness volition beryllium capable to seal a instrumentality to the Champions League.

And speaking aft the gully astatine the Amex Stadium, Howe said helium knew the contention for Europe would spell down until the last day, saying: “I felt that months back.

“We’ve got apical prime teams warring for a monolithic prize. We conscionable anticipation we’re successful there.”

With america each measurement of the way

Thank you for your unthinkable enactment aft making the agelong travel to the Amex this afternoon.

We’ll spot you astatine SJP adjacent Sunday pic.twitter.com/AX6qb8mgcT

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) May 4, 2025

Howe besides praised the involution of VAR which led to Isak scoring from the spot, with his latest onslaught his 23rd Premier League extremity of the season.

The Swede is the archetypal Newcastle subordinate to people that galore league goals successful a play since Alan Shearer successful 2001-02 (also 23).

“I’m blessed for VAR to marque those calls,” said Howe to BBC Sport.

“I’ve nary large disapproval different than possibly we were not originative capable and not astatine our objective champion successful beforehand of goal.

“When you’re 1-0 down you person to beryllium grateful for the point. We’re surely stronger with it than without it.”

For Brighton, meanwhile, they moved a constituent person to their ain European ambitions, with 2 points separating 4 teams who could seal a spot successful Europe adjacent year.

Seagulls brag Fabian Hurzeler was frustrated his broadside couldn’t clasp retired for each 3 points, with the gully leaving the nine with conscionable 1 triumph from their past 7 matches.

He told BBC Sport: “There were excessively galore mistakes and past we conceded a precise inexpensive punishment which was precocious connected successful the game.

“Last clip we had a large comeback against West Ham but this week was besides imaginable but shot was not connected our broadside truthful we person to marque the champion of it.”

Despite his side’s patchy signifier towards the extremity of the campaign, Hurzeler was affirmative astir his side’s show connected the whole.

“It was a bully squad performance, though we made immoderate casual mistakes,” said the Austrian.

“We were not capable to power the crippled similar we wanted to but wide it was a bully squad performance.

“We stuck unneurotic and supported each different and past we person a accidental to triumph games.”