Newcastle face Brighton battle as bid for Premier League top-four spot goes down to wire

Newcastle United head into their crucial Premier League clash against Brighton on Thursday with manager Eddie Howe admitting the hardest part of the season is still to come.

The Magpies currently sit third in the table, ahead of fourth-placed Manchester United on goal difference and one point ahead of Liverpool, albeit they have a game in hand on the Merseyside club.

Newcastle have taken one point from their last two games – losing at home to second-placed Arsenal and drawing 2-2 at relegation-threatened Leeds United – while Liverpool are on a seven-match winning streak that is piling extra pressure on the two Uniteds.

Brighton, meanwhile, are sixth in the table but head into the match at St James' Park full of confidence after a superb 3-0 win over Arsenal in North London on Sunday.

The Seagulls are looking to a secure a European spot for the first time in their history in what has been an impressive campaign for manager Roberto De Zerbi since taking over from Graham Potter last September.

After the Brighton match, Newcastle are at home to Leicester City on Monday before ending their season away to Chelsea on Sunday, May 28, as they look to secure a Champions League spot for the first time in two decades.

“I'm well aware of the importance of every game. We're running out of games, there's three games left in the competition for top four,” Howe told reporters on Wednesday.

“This will be the hardest bit, we need everyone to pull together to achieve it. When you're playing the important games that's what you're in it for.

“We're not looking too far ahead, it's small steps, the next game, and trying to get three points against a tough opponent, that's all we can do.

“We can't look at other teams' fixtures, external factors,