Premier League news: Eddie Howe sets Newcastle standards as Christian Eriksen prediction made

Here are your Premier League headlines on Friday, April 22.

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe insists the levels of his sides performance will not drop despite them having secured their Premier League status for next season. A 1-0 win in midweek over Crystal Palace saw Howe’s side reach the hallowed 40-point mark with weeks to spare, an incredible feat given their dismal start to the Premier League season.

When Howe arrived on Tyneside following Steve Bruce’s departure, Newcastle sat in the relegation zone, with their first win of the campaign coming against Burnley on December 4th. A remarkable turnaround followed the Burnley win, with Newcastle winning nine of their 14 Premier League ties since the turn of the year to secure their Premier League survival.

But despite their 2022 success, Howe is challenging his players to not let their levels drop ahead of a challenging slate of games, which starts with a trip to Carrow Road to face Norwich this weekend.

“First and foremost we have standards to maintain,” said Howe. “We’ve had a way of playing and delivered consistent performances in the main. We don’t want to let to those standards drop we don’t want to let that feeling go.

“Every game we have between now and the end of the season is very difficult because we’re playing teams that have something to play for. But we’re playing for Newcastle. Not for one second will our preparation drop and our expectations of the players won’t drop. We’ve got to make sure the players are ready to give their all.”

Norwich will have on-loan Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams back after he missed the 3-2 defeat to his parent club. Kenny McLean is set to play through the pain of a fractured toe, while Pierre Lees-Melou has resumed