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29 March 2024

'Fantastic' Newcastle dreaming of Champions League

Published
By Reuters

Newcastle United moved closer to a dream return to the Champions League with a 3-0 victory over Stoke City on Saturday, their sixth successive Premier League victory. 

The club, who last featured in the group phase of Europe's elite competition in the 2002-03 season, jumped three points above Tottenham Hotspur into fourth spot and are only three points behind Arsenal with a game in hand. 

Manager Alan Pardew, whose side were tipped to struggle in the Premier League before the start of the season, said their current position, in the top four with four games remaining, was more than he could have hoped for. 

"It was a very important victory because it puts us on 62 points - a position we would never even have dreamt about with four games left," Pardew told Newcatle's website after his team secured a sixth top-flight win in a row for the club for the first time since 1996. 

"We are in a terrific position, the stadium is full up, 52,000 people absolutely loving it, and we are playing some fantastic football. 

"The most important thing now is just to keep it going. 

"There is a great camaraderie in the team, great spirit in the dressing room, and from (owner) Mike Ashley down everyone can be proud of the jobs they are doing." 

Since their last European adventure, Newcastle have spent a season in the Championship (second division) but after returning to the top flight last season, under former manager Chris Hughton, they have gone from strength to strength. 

Pardew, whose appointment last season was unpopular, has won over the Geordie fans with his brand of attacking football and astute signings, such as those of Papiss Cisse and Yohan Cabaye. 

Cabaye scored twice on Saturday while Cisse, one of the buys of the season after signing from Freiburg in the January transfer window, netted the other.     

"That front four - Demba (Ba), Cisse, Cabaye and Hatem - are a handful for teams," said Pardew. 

"They put people on the backfoot. Cabaye's pass (for Cisse's goal) was probably better than the two goals. It was extraordinary to hit that and get the weight right. 
"It was a fantastic win for us, it really was." 

Newcastle face three away games in their final four fixtures, one of which is at title-chasing Manchester City.