Newcastle United

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The Northern Echo's chief sports writer Scott Wilson believes Anthony Gordon should be starting ahead of Harvey Barnes for the remaining Premier League fixtures.

Newcastle have Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton left to play in their bid for a top five finish and a spot in next season's Champion League.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, Wilson said Gordon can have a bigger impact on these big games: "Going into these last few games, especially Sunday, I think you play Anthony Gordon. I'd leave Harvey Barnes out.

"Barnes had moments on the left and did pretty well against Brighton, but I just think if you write down your best Newcastle starting XI, Gordon is in it.

"It feels like Barnes is sometimes more direct, but I still think in a big game I back Gordon to be more of a difference-maker."

So, who should start in big games? Make your choice here

And tell us why here

You can also listen to the full chat with Wilson on BBC Sounds here

Newcastle are monitoring 29-year-old Bayer Leverkusen and Germany defender Jonathan Tah, who will leave the Bundesliga club when his contract expires in the summer. (Sun, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Charlotte Robson
Fan writer

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It wouldn't be Newcastle United if it was all easy now would it? We've been saying for weeks that Champions League qualification is very much in our hands. And we find ourselves as fans once again checking who Villa are playing, who Forest are playing, what the goal difference is, etc, etc.

We managed to grab a point this weekend to stay (un)comfortably in the mix but thanks to a weakened (or just not bothered?) Liverpool side capitulating to Chelsea our fixture this coming Sunday becomes absolutely huge. We're up for the challenge. I think.

Some questions are being asked of Alexander Isak and whether or not he is fully fit. It's funny - if you look at his stats this season he has scored 23 goals, and yet it feels like we haven't fully unlocked his potential. Yes, we scored a penalty this weekend - but that was only his second touch in the opposition box. In the 89th minute.

My two cents are that he is fit - he played the whole game and didn't need to be replaced at any point - but something slightly tactically isn't working. I'd like to see Anthony Gordon back and working with him but here is where I am going to surprise you: I am not a qualified football coach and I don't know how to fix it. I know. I know!

Maybe I'm being greedy - 23 goals is a lot of goals! But I also want Isak to be happy at Newcastle and I think he (a striker) is very happy when scoring goals. Seeing him throw his hands up, exasperated not to get on the end of a cross, or to be not crossed to at all, worries me (though I acknowledge that worrying me specifically is not a difficult thing to do). He is vital to a Champions League or any other European campaign next season. Let's keep him happy.

Find more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external

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We asked for your views on Brighton's Premier League match against Newcastle.

Here are some of your comments:

Brighton fans

Fran: A draw was a fair result as I thought we lacked creativity in and around their box. Our build up play is so slow, giving the opposition so much time to get back into position. We hold the ball at the back waiting for the strikers to come to us but they don't and then we don't seem to know what to do so just pump it forward and give it away. Very frustrating and boring to watch. Let's just get the season finished!

Ben: Referee wanted to give them absolutely everything from minute one. A one in three rate for calling a penalty is abysmal for a referee of that calibre. Every time we tackled them and got the ball, foul. The opposite but no ball, play on no issue. Absolutely awful overall.

Stuart: Disappointed not to win the game. We were so close, but to be fair Newcastle have some amazing assets in their team, none more so than Craig Pawson, he played a blinder.

Newcastle fans

Chris: That was an incredibly frustrating game to watch. We have gone from scoring for fun to not being able to get our key striker into half chance positions, all in the space of a few games.

Philip: Disappointing in the first half, but really improved in the second. Would have won with more composure in the box. Dan Burn was man of the match for me. Tonali had probably his poorest game for us, but he's only human!

Roy: Poor performance overall, but a point is probably a fair result. Awful dive from Willock and he deserved his yellow. Wieffer very lucky to still be on the pitch for Brighton after a clear second yellow card was not given for some strange reason. I'll take a draw away against a very good Brighton side

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Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison is confident that Newcastle will seal a Champions League spot, despite dropping points against Brighton on Sunday.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast he is not concerned about the Magpies missing out on Europe's top tier competition.

"Going to Brighton is a hugely difficult game," Morrison said. "They didn't play well but they got the penalty at the end. They kept going and that could be a crucial point. I still think it is Newcastle's to lose."

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"I don't worry about Newcastle, I think they will get in the Champions League. I look at their run of games and there are some tough one in there but at home they are fantastic in front of their fans. That is like having a 12th man.

"One player they did miss was Joelinton to break up the midfield and with his powerful running and the defensive work he does.

"But, I still think Newcastle will be good enough to get into that Champions League spot."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy was impressed by Newcastle's performance in their 1-1 draw against Brighton, despite a lack of clinical finishing.

The Magpis needed a late penalty from Alexander Isak to rescue a point at Amex Stadium but Murphy says that was the least they deserved.

"Eddie Howe said in one of his post match interviews that their problem was they just weren't clinical enough, which is right, but actually it was an accomplished performance," he told Match of the Day 2. "They were better than Brighton.

"They looked a really good side. The only thing that was lacking, which is unusual with the quality forwards they've got, was that bit of calmness and decision making in the final third. Other than that, Howe should be really pleased with the level of performance.

"They controlled the game for long periods, and had a lot of joy down the left side. It's just about finding the right option."

Ex-Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney added: "I think Newcastle are a really good team and a good watch as well. They dominated the game. They were unfortunate to go a goal behind, but what I liked about them was that they kept pushing.

"They kept finding themselves in the right areas and doing the right things - it was just their little details. They have to get those right and then they win games comfortably."

Catch up on Match of the Day 2 here

Mark Chapman presents highlights and analysis from Sunday's four Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brentford 4-3 Manchester United

• Brighton 1-1 Newcastle United

• Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool

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Eddie Howe spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Newcastle's draw against Brighton: "That's what VAR is there for [the penalty]. I'm happy for VAR to make those calls. I thought the third one was a stonewall but we got there is the end.

"I've no major criticism other than maybe we were not creative enough and not at our clinical best in front of goal.

"When you're 1-0 down you have to be grateful for the point. We're certainly stronger with it than without it."

On the prospect the race for the Champions League will go down to the final weekend of the season: "I felt that months back. We've got top quality teams fighting for a massive prize. We just hope we're in there."

Bobbie Jackson
BBC Sport Journalist

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Alexander Isak's last-minute equaliser means Newcastle fans will make the long journey back north in a better mood, but the result will still be tinged with a feeling they should have taken all three points.

Newcastle were chasing the game from the 28th-minute after former player Yankuba Minteh curled into the far corner.

That strike was against the run of play and Brighton rarely looked like troubling again.

Newcastle posed the questions and had opportunities through Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy.

They also had two penalty decisions overturned by the video assistant referee (VAR).

Anthony Gordon was initially deemed to have been fouled in the box but a VAR check rightly ruled the contact was outside, while the second was chalked off after Joe Willock was deemed to have dived.

There could be no dispute over the third penalty shout, which stood, when Yasin Ayari used his arm to block Fabian Schar's free-kick.

Isak showed great composure to register his 23rd of the season - the first Newcastle player to reach that tally in the Premier League since Alan Shearer in 2001-02.

Callum Wilson almost earned Newcastle a win in stoppage time but Bart Verbruggen was on call to make a fine save.

Victory would have moved Newcastle up to third and firmly in the mix for a Champions League berth with three games to go.

But they stay fourth and face a battle to retain a top-five spot, with tough fixtures to come against Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton.

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Today's result ended a run of 20 consecutive Premier League games without a draw for Newcastle United (W14 L6) since a 3-3 draw with Liverpool in December. It was the longest ongoing such streak in the competition.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Brighton's performance

What did you make of Newcastle's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies.

Intro referencing day, competition and number of matches.

• Brentford v Manchester United

• Brighton v Newcastle - BBC Radio 5 Live

• West Ham v Tottenham

• Chelsea v Liverpool (16:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Brighton got back to winning ways last weekend thanks to Carlos Baleba's brilliant late strike against West Ham.

The Seagulls beat Newcastle at St James' Park earlier in the season too, but that was before Eddie Howe's side hit their stride, and it is a big ask for Brighton to repeat that result.

Newcastle were just relentless in their win over Ipswich and another three points here would be massive in their bid for a top-five finish - I don't think they will get them, but we will see a few goals.

Sutton's prediction: 2-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Newcastle boss Eddie Howe hopes the boot will be on the other foot this summer to "take advantage of other clubs" who will have to sell players to comply with spending rules.

Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) meant the Magpies were forced to sell Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest and Yankuba Minteh to Brighton to avoid a points deduction.

But this summer, they are in a significantly stronger situation and they should be able to retain and strengthen, while also demanding a decent fee for those leaving.

"The PSR deadline plays a huge role for clubs - both those clubs with PSR issues and those without - because those without may potentially look to try to sign players," said Howe.

"They [the owners] will look to take advantage of other clubs, as clubs did to us last year, quite rightly.

"It's a really interesting dynamic and one that we're really aware of and that we'll try to use to our advantage if we can.

"I can't go into the details of that, but no doubt we've got people at the club who are working very hard behind the scenes on it.

"We want to keep our best players, I think I've made that very clear. That's not just the wish from me, that's the wish from everyone at the club.

"I don't have a crystal ball. I can't sit here and say what's going to happen. I can only say what my determination is and it is to build a team - the best team possible. To do that, you can't consistently lose your best players."

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Under Eddie Howe, Newcastle United have won 27 Premier League matches by a margin of three or more goals. Since his first game in November 2021, the only side with more is Manchester City (38).

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Brighton (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Howe said it is unlikely Joelinton to play again this season, but he would not rule it out entirely: "He had a bit of discomfort in his knee last week before the game so he sought specialist opinion. The opinion was it was nothing serious but he needed a period of rest, so he's now in Brazil."

• He described Joe Willock as a "like-for-like replacement" for the injured midfielder: "He's got goalscoring instincts, is an attack-minded player, very quick and athletic, a good ball carrier. No doubting his quality but he probably needs that run of games to be at his very best, so hopefully he can show that."

• On Sven Botman's fitness: "He came through last weekend OK. He trained again this week and looks good, so it's been positive to have him back."

• Howe said he expects the race for Champions League football "to go down right to the end", adding: "You look at the teams in and around us and it's full of top quality. We have four games left but we can only look at ourselves. You can't look at other teams and results."

• Anthony Gordon's knee issues are "not too bad", with Howe adding: "He's had a full week of training and looks better physically. The main thing for him is to try to focus on his performance and be at the levels he has for the majority of the season."

• He was asked about William Osula, who scored his first Premier League goal for the Magpies last week: "For us, it's about being consistent with our development of him. Not everybody has his ability and his attributes, so it's about honing those skills and making sure we continue to get him ready for the rigours of the Premier League."

• On the upcoming transfer window: "Even though we haven't signed a lot of players in the past few windows, the work doesn't stop - and will never stop. I take more prominence towards the window opening so I am doing a lot of the work at the moment."

Listen to Howe speak to BBC Radio Newcastle

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to Brighton v Newcastle on BBC Radio 5 Live at 14:00 on Sunday