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Mean defence, savvy signings and resurgent stars: How Newcastle reached Champions League

Newcastle United secured a spot in next season's Champions League for the first time in 20 years after the goalless draw with Leicester City on Monday.

The point means the third-placed Magpies are four points clear of Liverpool, in fifth, heading into the final weekend of the Premier League season.

At the start of 2022, Newcastle looked set for relegation from the top-flight, now they will be playing in European club football's elite competition. We take a look at how they managed it.

Newcastle's success has been built from the back with only champions Manchester City (31) conceding less than the 32 goals the Magpies have leaked over in their 37 games so far.

While manager Eddie Howe has tinkered with other areas of his side throughout the campaign, the defensive unit of Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman and Dan Burn – in front of goalkeeper Nick Pope – has remained largely untouched.

Full-backs Trippier and Burn have played 36 of 37 league games each, as has Pope, while centre-backs Schar and Botman have both appeared 34 times.

This stability has enabled Newcastle to become a formidable defensive outfit and incredibly hard to break down, only conceding more than two goals in a game twice all season – when Manchester City and Aston Villa managed to find the back of Pope's net three times.

It is not by accident that Trippier has been nominated for Premier League Player of the Season award while Botman is on the shortlist for the Young Player award.

There can be no denying the financial backing of the club's Saudi Arabian owners has been a key factor in the club's remarkable turnaround from one end of the table to the other.

But what also cannot be argued with is how wisely the £250 million-plus has been spent in

Read more on thenationalnews.com