Several journalists from the Guardian have predicted the outcome of this season’s Premier League relegation battle – and it’s good news for Newcastle.
With 10 matches left to play the Magpies are currently 15th in the table on 29 points, just two points and three places above trapdoor that would lead back to the Championship after just a single season back in the top-flight.
Newcastle head to Benitez’s old club Liverpool on Saturday in high spirits on the back of a four match unbeaten run and a victory at Anfield, a venue where United haven’t tasted success in 24 years, would constitute a huge stride towards safety.
However, defeat on Merseyside wouldn’t be the end of the world for Benitez and his players- especially as five journalists from the Guardian have predicted that Newcastle will still be a Premier League club next term.
From the collective projections, West Brom (5), Stoke (4) and Southampton (3) are tipped as the most likely to be playing in the second tier next season, with each journalist believing the Baggies will definitely go down under former Newcastle boss Alan Pardew.
In fact, Paul Doyle feels that Newcastle can “pull out big results in times of need” in the battle for survival, whilst Ben Fisher warned that United must “discover some consistency” if they are to pull away from the bottom three in the final weeks of the campaign.
