Newcastle United head into Monday's match against Leicester City knowing that victory will guarantee them Champions League football next season.
A place in the Europa League is already safely in the bag but with two games left of the domestic season, it is European club football's elite competition that remains Newcastle's prime target.
After Thursday's 4-1 destruction of Brighton at St James' Park, the Magpies are tantalisingly close to securing a place at Europe's top table for the first time since losing in the qualifiifying round to Partizan Belgrade back in 2003.
And manager Eddie Howe is fully aware that careful planning and squad strengthening is priority during the summer, despite the club's Saudi-Arabian owners already backing him to the tune of £250 million-plus since being appointed in November 2021.
“We need to figure that out,” said Howe, whose side are third in the Premier League, four points ahead of Liverpool in fifth.
“If you have a strong squad, rotation will be important. Rotation is going to be important, utilising the whole squad is going to be important.
“We haven't felt the necessity to necessarily do that on a consistent basis because we've been in one competition – of course, we had the League Cup run. We have rotated to a degree, but maybe not in the numbers that we might need to next year.
Newcastle 4 Brighton 1: Player ratings
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NEWCASTLE RATINGS: Nick Pope - 6. A spectator for most of the game, as he wasn’t called into action in the first half. Made two routine saves in the second. Getty Images -
Kieran Trippier - 9. Credited with the assist for the opener as Undav turned in his brilliant delivery. Recorded his second assist with a pinpoint delivery for Burn to head home on the brink of half time. Also played a huge role at the back by keeping Mitoma quiet. AFP -
Dan Burn - 9. His face lit up when he had the sight of goal in the 33rd minute, but his effort was deflected wide by Dunk. Grabbed his first league goal for Newcastle with a glancing header across the face of goal with the last kick of the first half to make it 2-0. Getty Images -
Fabian Schar - 6. Misfired with a free-kick attempt early in the game. Failed to get close enough to stop Undav scoring to bring the Seagulls back into the game. Reuters -
Sven Botman - 7. Made a tremendous covering challenge to stop Mitoma from running through on goal on the stroke of half time. Dealt well with the threat of Ferguson in the second half. Getty Images -
Joelinton - 7. A workhorse in the centre of the home side’s midfield. He combined well with Isak on the left flank and was central to Newcastle’s high press in the first half. Getty Images -
Bruno Guimaraes - 8. His solid outing in the middle of the field was crowned by a good finish to make it four in added time. Reuters -
Joe Willock - 7. He should have made Steele work with a side-footed effort from Almiron’s cutback in the ninth minute. Brilliant header back across the face of goal to find Almiron in the second half. AFP -
Miguel Almiron - 8. Should have made it three when Willock’s header found him in the penalty area, but he failed to beat Steele from close range. Grabbed the assist his performance deserved when he skipped past Caicedo to play Wilson through on goal. Getty Images -
Alexander Isak - 7. Got close to finding a black and white shirt in the penalty area with a cutback in the seventh minute. Forced Steele into a cracking save with a downward header in the 64th minute. Getty Images -
Callum Wilson - 9. Put the game to bed with a composed finish after he was played through on goal by Almiron in the 89th minute. Grabbed an assist two minutes later when he found Guimaraes in the penalty area. Getty Images -
SUBS: Elliot Anderson (Willock, 61') - 6. Worked hard after coming on and helped protect the defence as the Seagulls piled on the pressure in search of a second goal. Reuters -
Allan Saint-Maximin (Almiron, 90') - N/A. Came on too late to make an impact. Getty Images -
Anthony Gordon (Isak, 90') - N/A. Another late sub, his introduction wasted more time for the home side. PA -
Matt Targett (Joelinton, 90') - N/A. The defender was brought on too steady the ship late on. Getty Images -
Javi Manquillo (Trippier, 90') - N/A. A late change as Eddie Howe looked to waste some seconds. Getty Images -
BRIGHTON RATINGS: Jason Steele - 6. A rare epitome of calmness for the away side during the Magpies’ early pressure. Produced a cracking save to stop Isak from making it three halfway into the second half. Helpless for many of the goals. Reuters -
Moises Caicedo - 4. A late collapse marred what was a good outing for Caicedo. He was beaten too easily by Almiron in the build-up to the home side’s third goal and was guilty of losing possession in midfield for the fourth. Getty Images -
Pervis Estupinan - 3. A torrid game for the Ecuadorian, who allowed Almiron to get past him several times. Impressive recovery tackle to stop Willock from testing Steele, though. Reuters -
Lewis Dunk - 4. Superb last-ditch challenge to stop Joelington's effort from troubling Steele in the 21st minute. Got caught out of position for the third and fourth goals. AFP -
Jan Paul Van Hecke - 4. Excellent interception to stop Willock’s cross from finding Wilson in the penalty area. Miscalculated the flight of the ball, which allowed Burn to double the Magpies lead. AFP -
Billy Gilmour - 6. Didn’t manage to get going in the first half due to the home side’s high press. Made an instant impact in the second by playing Undav through on goal to give Brighton a lifeline. Getty Images -
Pascal Gross - 5. Struggled to shrug off the attention of the hardworking Joelinton in midfield. A risky pass from Steele into his path in the penalty area almost cost the Seagulls a goal. AFP -
Facundo Buonanotte - 4. A tireless runner, but he was unable to make an impact in attack and was subbed off early in the second half. Reuters -
Denis Undav - 6. Made it two goals in two games but not in his preferred way. He turned Trippier’s corner past Steele to give the Magpies the lead. Went from villain to hero when he scored just after the restart to bring the Seagulls back into the game. AFP -
Kaoru Mitoma - 5. Failed to get as much joy against Trippier as he did against Ben White last week. Tried to cut in for the first time and have a pop at goal in the 37th minute, but his effort failed to trouble Pope in goal. Getty Images -
Danny Welbeck - 5. Had the Seagulls’ first attempt on target with a shot straight at Pope. Tried to bring his teammates into play by holding the ball up in a below-par first-half performance. AFP -
SUBS: Alexis Mac Allister (Gilmour, 57') - 4. Brought on with the intention of adding more poise and experience to the away side’s midfield, the World Cup winner’s most notable impact was picking up a yellow card a few minutes after coming on. Reuters -
Julio Enciso (Buonanotte, 57') - 6. Looked sharp after coming on but couldn’t direct a header at goal in the 68th minute. Did well to beat two Newcastle players in the 87th minute, but his cross left a lot to be desired. Getty Images -
Evan Ferguson (Welbeck, 57') - 5. Combined well with teammates on a couple of occasions but didn't have a chance to trouble Pope in goal. Peupion (Undav, 84') - N/A. Struggled to get involved during his six-minute cameo. AFP
“If you're going to do that, then the squad needs to be strong enough, so if you put out two XIs, they're of equal strength.”
As an energy-sapping season – broken up by the World Cup in Qatar – heads towards its finale, Howe's squad is feeling the pinch in terms of injuries and general fatigue.
Sean Longstaff and Jacob Murphy were already missing for the victory over Brighton which saw Joe Willock helped off the pitch in agony due to a hamstring injury, while Bruno Guimaraes has been struggling with an ankle problem for weeks.
“Today I’ll be going straight to the physio room, to be honest, after this to see how everybody is. We’ve got a few concerns,” admitted Howe.
“The lads gave so much yesterday to the game, they’ve given a lot to the season physically and I just hope there’s no serious effects.
“It looks like Joe Willock may be in trouble with his hamstring – we might lose him for the season, but that’s unclear as I sit here now. Fingers crossed our team will still be strong.”
Brazilian pair Guimaraes and Joelinton – key players in this season's success – have struggled during the last couple of games and Howe admitted the latter might hit a “brick wall” after Thursday's efforts.
“He’s a machine. He’d literally – it’s a well-used phrase in football – run through a brick wall for the team, the club and I think he does every game.
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Joelinton celebrates with teammates Callum Wilson and Bruno Guimaraes after scoring the Newcastle United's second goal in their 4-1 Premier League win over Everton at Goodison Park, on April 27, 2023. Getty -
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe after the match. AP -
Callum Wilson curls home Newcastle's third goal. PA -
Newcastle players congratulate Alexander Isak after his remarkable assist to set up Jacob Murphy for the fourth goal. PA -
Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope watched Dwight McNeil's corner curl straight into the net. Getty -
Callum Wilson celebrates after scoring his second and Newcastle's third goal. Getty -
Joelinton heads home Newcastle's second goal. Getty -
Newcastle's Callum Wilson celebrates with teammates after scoring. PA -
Newcastle striker Callum Wilson puts Newcastle ahead ion the first-half. AFP -
Newcastle's Kieran Trippier after picking up a knock in the first half. AP -
Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin scores just before half-time but had been caught offside. Getty -
Everton manager Sean Dyche. Reuters -
Newcastle's Callum Wilson finishes past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. AP
“He succumbed to that brick wall last night, it seemed to hurt him, but we hope he’s OK. He’s just been incredible for us this year.”
Next up for Newcastle will be relegation threatened Leicester who sit second bottom in the table, two points from safety.
It has been a nightmare campaign for the Foxes who saw manager Brendan Rodgers leave the club after four seasons in charge, and Dean Smith take over.
Their top-flight future hangs in the balance and a return to the second-tier for the first time since 2014 remains a distinct possibility.
“It can happen to any team in any season if things conspire against you,” added Howe, whose team take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on the final day of the season.
“Leicester have some outstanding individuals and a really strong squad when you look at the squad as a whole. But that is the Premier League.
“I’m not going to talk about Leicester’s reasons for being in the position that they’re in currently, all I know is I know their qualities.
“Dean Smith is an outstanding manager as well, he’s been given a tough task. But just focusing back on ourselves, the energy we gave in the Brighton game and the intensity we played at, that’s the standard for us and that’s what we want to try to recreate.”
