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Newcastle have qualified for the Champions League for the third time in their history and the first in 20 years after securing a top-four Premier League finish. Head coach Eddie Howe has joined an exclusive club alongside Kenny Dalglish, who guided the Magpies side he had inherited from Kevin Keegan into the competition for the first time in 1997, and Sir Bobby Robson, who matched his feat five years later. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how the club have fared on their previous encounters with Europe’s big boys. Temuri and Tino If full-back John Beresford was the unlikely hero as the Magpies secured a 2-1 qualifying round first-leg victory over Croatia Zagreb with a place in the 1997-98 Champions League group stage at stake, it was Georgia international Temuri Ketsbaia who snatched the headlines in the return at the Maksimir Stadium when his strike in the last minute of extra-time secured a 2-2 draw on the night and a 4-3 aggregate win. Dalglish’s men launched their Group C campaign in style when Faustino Asprilla scored a superb hat-trick in a stunning 3-2 victory over Barcelona, with Luis Enrique and Luis Figo on target for the visitors, but things went downhill from there. A 2-2 draw with Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine was followed by back-to-back defeats at the hands of PSV Eindhoven and Michael Reiziger’s strike at the Nou Camp saw Barca – where Robson had been moved upstairs to make way for Louis Van Gaal – gain revenge before the adventure ended with a 2-0 home win over Dynamo. Back to Barca Kieron Dyer’s expert finish in Sarajevo and a 4-0 home win in which Alan Shearer scored the final goal saw Newcastle ease past FK Zeljeznicar to reach the competition proper for the second time in 2002. Dynamo Kiev ensured they got off to a disappointing start with a 2-0 away defeat and their hopes of emerging from Group E looked to be over when Feyenoord won 1-0 at St James’ Park before two Alessandro Del Piero goals handed Juventus a 2-0 victory in Turin. However, Andy Griffin fired Robson’s side to victory over the Italians on Tyneside and Shearer’s penalty snatched a 2-1 win against the Ukrainians to set up a memorable night in Rotterdam on which Craig Bellamy struck late to claim a 3-2 win over Feyenoord and send his side through to the second group stage as the first side to make it after losing the first three games. Their reward was a daunting draw which pitched them into battle with Inter Milan, Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen, and their hopes were dealt a significant blow by a 4-1 home defeat by Inter in which Bellamy was sent off and Shearer later suspended on video evidence after a clash with Fabio Cannavaro. A 3-1 defeat in Barcelona rubbed salt into the wound and although they beat Leverkusen home and away – with Shearer plundering a hat-trick on Tyneside – and drew 2-2 in Milan, Barca’s 2-0 win at St James’ meant the quarter-finals were beyond them. The one that got away Having finished third in the Premier League at the end of the 2002-03 season, Robson and his players were anticipating a second-successive crack at the Continent’s biggest and best, but after Nolberto Solano’s goal saw them return from Partizan Belgrade with a 1-0 win, they lost the home leg of their qualifying tie 1-0 and eventually went out on penalties. Their consolation was a UEFA Cup run which was ended at the semi-final stage by Marseille striker Didier Drogba’s double. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Football rumours: Manchester United lose patience with Anthony Martial On this day in 2015: James DeGale world title win secures British boxing history Fun the priority of new coaching campaign to boost activity among young people

It is another week in LaLiga. Once home to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Spanish top-flight is going through a period where it has a relative scarcity of stars: it does not have Erling Haaland, it does not have Kylian Mbappe. It does, though, have Vinicius Jr, the leading light of Real Madrid and the new face of Brazilian football, an unmissable, thrilling forward with lightning feet and a ruthless edge in front of goal. Thanks to Vinicius Jr, LaLiga may be able to claim it has the best player in the world once again. He is the most important player in the division - and he is routinely a victim of vile, despicable racist abuse at away grounds. On Sunday, Vinicius Jr had enough, sent off after he was targeted with monkey chants during a 1-0 defeat at Valencia, the latest incident to bring shame on Spanish football. The 22-year-old pointed out fans to the referee who had racially abused him at the Mestalla and as tempers flared between the two teams he was shown a red card for shoving Valencia striker Hugo Duro, even though Vinicius Jr had been held back from around the neck moments before. Vinicius Jr was in tears, the pain written clearly across his face, unable to prevent what was unfolding again. Courageously, Vinicius Jr called out LaLiga, where he said racism had become “normal”. Spain, he went on, was known as a “country of racists” in Brazil after the events of this season, with abuse “encouraged” by opponents. Yet amid the widespread condemnation of the incident, Vinicius Jr was criticised by the LaLiga president, Javier Tebas, for “insulting” the organisation. The manner Tebas chose to respond was reflective of an attitude that has seeped into the roots of Spanish football, where the racist abuse Vinicius Jr receives on an almost weekly basis is somehow his fault, and is a response to how he plays the game. It is an attitude that is broadcast on TV, with Vinicius Jr accused of “provoking” opposition players and fans as the incident unfolded on Sunday night. The Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, who himself appeared to be at breaking point as he condemned the “unacceptable” scenes at the Mestalla, was made to justify how Vinicius Jr reacted, as journalists questioned the Italian on whether the abuse the Brazilian received was actually racist, despite the videos that had already been broadcast around the world. Then there was Tebas, the figure who should have been protecting Vinicius Jr from abuse, turning Vinicius Jr’s criticism of racism into a divisive issue. Political figures in Brazil, including president Lula, were aghast. There is now, at least, what promises to be stern action, after Vinicius Jr shifted the focus onto Spanish football more intensely than before. Real Madrid have filed an official complaint to the Spanish attorney general’s office for the abuse to be treated as a hate crime and LaLiga will take “appropriate legal action” if required. Valencia will issue lifetime bans to the fans they identify. But this is also the ninth instance of racist abuse against Vinicius Jr to be reported to prosecutors this season. LaLiga presented that as some sort of sign that their response to racist abuse was working, but there have yet to be convictions, let alone sanctions against clubs, and wider inaction has also led to this point. At the start of the season, it was about Vinicius Jr’s dancing - the Brazilian would mark his goals with a celebration inspired by samba, funk, and reggaeton, that traced back to Black history and Brazilian culture. Vinicius Jr was racially abused for it - his dancing “criminalised”. He was accused of “playing the monkey” on Spanish TV, a disgusting racial slur. Before Real Madrid visited rivals Atletico in the first derby of the season, the Atletico captain Koke said Vinicius would expect “trouble” if he danced in front of the home supporters. Real Madrid won 2-1 and Vinicius Jr defied Koke’s warning. He was jeered and whistled throughout, abused outside of the stadium before the match and inside while he played. No action was taken by the Madrid prosecutors after the incident was filed in court. While the monkey noises were "unpleasant and disrespectful”, the ruling said, they were “in the context of football rivalry”. The racist abuse of Vinicius Jr continued. “LaLiga continues to do nothing,” Vinicius Jr said in December. “I will continue with my head held high and celebrating my victories and those of Madrid.” In January, before Madrid played Atletico in the reverse fixture, Vinicius Jr was the target of an effigy hung from a motorway bridge in Madrid. There were strong statements on condemnation from both Atletico and LaLiga - yet the abuse became more regular over the second half of the season, at Barcelona, at Mallorca, another week, another away ground, another shameful moment. It had become routine. There now needs to be change. The head of the Spanish football federation has admitted for the first time that the country has a “serious problem” with racism. LaLiga and its president must be next to seriously look within itself, rather than criticising the victim. Fifa, too, must realise its three-step protocol for dealing with racism incidents is failing to protect players. Vinicius Jr has been left without a “defence”, he said. Ancelotti said he wanted Real Madrid to walk off the pitch, and that may need to be the next step - or else Vincius Jr is ultimately driven out of LaLiga, and the racists win. Read More Commentator sparks outrage for criticising Vinicius Jr reaction after facing racist abuse Real Madrid file ‘hate crime’ complaint after racial abuse of Vinicius Jr ‘Racism is normal in LaLiga’: Vinicius Junior sent off after facing racist abuse at Valencia

What the papers say Manchester United are reportedly ready to part ways with forward Anthony Martial. According to The Sun, the club’s hierarchy are ready to consider offers for the 27-year-old Frenchman, who has scored just eight goals in 27 appearances this season. The Daily Mail says Liverpool are the latest club to join the growing list of suitors for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham are all believed to be interested in the 22-year-old England international, but his valuation of as much as £50million could prove a significant obstacle for any deal to get across the line. Arsenal have set a £26m price tag on striker Folarin Balogun, according to the Daily Express. Citing Calciomercato, the paper says AC Milan have made the 21-year-old American their primary transfer target this summer, while RB Leipzig are also weighing up a potential move. And The Sun says Manchester United are in the process of trying to make a deal for 26-year-old South Korea defender Kim Min-jae, who has helped Napoli win the Serie A title this season. Social media round-up Players to watch Neymar: Manchester United are weighing up an approach for the 31-year-old Paris St Germain forward, L’Equipe reports. Declan Rice: Sky Sport Germany says Bayern Munich view the 24-year-old West Ham midfielder as a primary target for the summer transfer window. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

No one likes mornings. Whether you’re having a slow start to the weekend, nursing a hangover or need a midweek pick-me-up, easing yourself in with an indulgent brunch is perfectly acceptable. You heard it here first. That’s why we asked Tasos Gaitanos and Alex Large, the old school friends behind London brunch institution Brother Marcus, for some flavoursome, summery recipes to get our days going. Celebrating vibrant Mediterranean cuisine, these recipes are worth getting out of bed for. Baked omelette and halloumi “Omelettes are an all-time favourite at Brother Marcus. We’ve given ours an Eastern Mediterranean touch by adding halloumi and baking it in the oven so it comes out golden in colour and light and fluffy in texture. This is best cooked in a skillet that can then be transferred to the oven for baking, but an ovenproof dish will also work.” Serves: 4 Ingredients: 30ml olive oil ½ a red pepper, diced 2 spring onions, chopped 100g spinach 12 eggs 230ml double cream 30g halloumi, grated Salt and freshly ground Black pepper Method: Preheat the oven to 200C fan. If using an ovenproof dish, place it in the oven to heat up. Heat the olive oil in a skillet, then add the red pepper and spring onion and saut. until softened. Add the spinach and season with salt and pepper, then saut. until wilted. Put to one side to cool. In a bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly with the double cream and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the grated halloumi and the cooled veg mix. If using the ovenproof dish, take it out of the oven and quickly brush it with a little olive oil. While it’s still hot, pour in the egg/veg/halloumi mix and put it back into the oven. Alternatively, pour the mixture back into the skillet and return it to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes until the eggs are puffy and golden. Garnish with some more grated halloumi and serve with buttered toast. Rhubarb and cherry porridge “Early spring sees the arrival of the first forced rhubarb, and adding it to this porridge is a delicious way to enjoy it for breakfast.” Serves: 4 Ingredients: For the porridge: 200g oats 500ml whole milk 1 star anise Pinch of ground cinnamon Pinch of ground nutmeg For the rhubarb: 300g forced rhubarb 120g caster sugar 1 sprig of rosemary Juice of a ¼ lemon To serve: 4 tbsp maple granola 4 tbsp sweet preserves 4 tsp finely chopped pistachios Method: Place the oats in a pan with the milk, star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg and 500ml water and stir while slowly bringing the mixture to a boil. Stirring is the key to getting the perfect porridge consistency! Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring all the time, then take off the heat once it is thick. If you need to loosen it further just add a splash of water. Wash the rhubarb and trim the ends off, then slice it diagonally every 2cm to make diamond shapes. Bring a pan of water to the boil and drop the rhubarb into it, boil for a couple of minutes, until just tender, and drain. Place the blanched rhubarb back in the pan and add the sugar, rosemary, lemon juice and 230ml water. Bring to the boil and immediately take off the heat and cover – the idea here is to keep the rhubarb nice and firm while also dissolving the sugar in rhubarby juices. To serve, divide the warm porridge between four bowls and top each with a tablespoon of the granola and a tablespoon of the cherry spoon sweets and their syrup. Arrange some rhubarb pieces on top and pour over some of the juices, then scatter over some finely chopped pistachios. Brother Mary “The Brother Mary is our very popular twist on the classic Bloody Mary, using flavours from countries all around the Eastern Med: Egypt, Syria, Greece and Turkey. It’s a brunch essential.” Serves: 2 Ingredients: 300ml tomato juice 100ml vodka 60ml lemon juice 30ml Worcester sauce 10ml ouzo Pinch of molokhia leaf Pinch of cayenne pepper Pinch of celery salt To garnish (optional): 1 tbsp Aleppo chilli 1 lemon wedge 2 small Turkish green peppers 2 x 300-400ml glasses Ice Method: Take the large Boston shaker and measure in the tomato juice, vodka, lemon juice, Worcester sauce and ouzo. Add healthy pinches of molokhia, cayenne pepper and celery salt, then pour from the big Boston into the little Boston and repeat five or six times. This will break up the molokhia a little. Put the Aleppo chilli onto a small plate. Wet the rim of your glasses by sliding the lemon wedge round them, then dip or roll your lemony rims in the chilli on the plate. Fill the glasses with ice, then pour over the Brother Mary mix and pop a green Turkish pepper on top! Recipes from ‘Brunch with Brother Marcus’ by Tasos Gaitanos and Alex Large (Kitchen Press, £25).

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has admitted Champions League qualification was not even in his thoughts as he embarked upon the new Premier League campaign. The Magpies secured a top-four finish and a return to the big stage for the first time since the 2002-03 season with a 0-0 draw against Leicester on Monday evening to complete a remarkable turnaround. They were in severe danger of relegation when Howe took the helm in November 2021 but will now rub shoulders with the continent’s elite next season. A delighted Howe said: “This wasn’t in our sights at that moment. We had escaped relegation impressively, from the position we were in. “We were hopeful of improving and staying away from danger and growing the team to a position where maybe we could compete for Europe in a couple of seasons, so we’ve shot ahead of schedule. “With that comes big challenges for the future, but when you’re in these moments and there’s an opportunity of something like this, you have to take it.” The club’s Saudi-backed owners have ploughed in excess of £250million in the squad since buying out Mike Ashley, but have received an earlier than anticipated return on their investment. It’s an amazing achievement, an amazing thing in terms of where we’ve come from in such a short space of time Eddie Howe Newcastle reached the Carabao Cup final in February only to lose to Manchester United at Wembley, but were not to be denied a place at Europe’s top table. Howe said: “The difficulty is there’s no trophy. It’s an amazing achievement, an amazing thing in terms of where we’ve come from in such a short space of time. “But it feels difficult to celebrate it like you’ve won a league or something like that. It’s right up there, of course it is. It’s an amazing thing at a very special club. Asked how he would celebrate, Howe added with a smile: “I don’t know how I’ll celebrate. I’ll wait and see. I hope it’s not with a tea and a biscuit.” St James’ Park was bouncing at the final whistle and Howe, his staff and players performed a lap of honour, although the mood in the Leicester camp was very different. The Foxes remain two points adrift of safety, although victory over West Ham on Saturday coupled with a draw for Everton at home to Bournemouth would keep them up on goal difference. They did not muster a shot until stoppage time, when Magpies goalkeeper Nick Pope kept out Timothy Castagne’s volley to deny them a priceless victory, but boss Dean Smith was defiant over his safety-first approach. Smith said: “I make no apologies for the way we set up today. We haven’t kept a clean sheet for too long and the reason we are where we are is because of that in my opinion. “My mind was made up when I watched Newcastle play Brighton on Thursday, one of the best footballing teams in the Premier League this year, Brighton, and in that first 20, 25 minutes, they steamrollered them. “We had to keep a clean sheet and hope, because we had to make sacrifices with our team sheet today and hope then we were still in the game. “It almost worked exactly to plan, but the goalkeeper made a really good save in the 90th minute, which was our only shot, I think. “If it’s too little, too late, who knows? But we’ve taken it to Sunday now.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fun the priority of new coaching campaign to boost activity among young people Ilkay Gundogan urges Manchester City to keep standards high in quest for treble Real Madrid file hate crime complaint after Vinicius targeted by racist abuse

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Ilkay Gundogan is determined not to lose momentum as Manchester City aim to close out the season by winning the treble. City claimed the first of the three trophies they are chasing by winning the Premier League title over the weekend. Their sights are now set on adding the FA Cup and Champions League but, before they can switch thoughts fully to their two finals next month, they have to complete the league programme. City, who are unbeaten in 24 games, wrap up their Premier League campaign by travelling to Brighton on Wednesday and Brentford next Sunday and Gundogan is wary of easing up in those matches. The City captain said: “We haven’t lost any games for so many weeks and that’s the standard that we have to set for ourselves. “We do nothing different – we do the same things that we’ve done in the last few weeks and hopefully it can be a really special end to the season. “I love the club and being part of this amazing team. “Obviously, we want to finish the season with two more trophies. We have two more big finals, and the last two games of the Premier League season are going to be preparation for that. “We don’t want to drop anything. I would love to lift two more trophies.” The ultimate success of City’s season will now be defined by the FA Cup final, in which they face Manchester United on June 3, and the Champions League final against Inter Milan the following week. After a strong run throughout the spring – capped by magnificent performances in crunch games against title rivals Arsenal and then Real Madrid in the Champions League – the focus is strong. Kevin De Bruyne, who like Gundogan is now a five-time Premier League winner, said: “We like to win, and we’re never bored of it. We’ve won a lot in the past but we want to win again and again. “We keep on working. We enjoy the games against Brighton and Brentford and prepare for United and Inter and hopefully we can do something special. “Everybody wants it. We know we need to win two games, but they are hard games, and we need to prepare ourselves the best as possible and hopefully we can win them.” Midfielder Rodri is confident City can achieve their goal. He said: “We know there is a long way to go with two big finals and we have to prepare good. “We can do it. We believe in ourselves. We have been working to arrive in these moments and we are prepared.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Real Madrid file hate crime complaint after Vinicius targeted by racist abuse Newcastle clinch Champions League qualification with Leicester draw Juventus docked 10 points with immediate effect over transfer irregularities

LONDON British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt plans to raise concerns about the surge in food prices and discuss

Newcastle United secured Champions League football for next season after collecting a point in a goalless draw with Leicester City. The hosts dominated possession but couldn’t break through Leicester’s low block. Callum Wilson had the best chance of the game when Dan Burn nodded a cross down to him and he turned it onto the post. The rebound came back but Wilson’s next effort was then cleared off the line but Wilfred Ndidi. Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak also wasted decent chances on a night that saw Leicester offer no threat at all in front of goal. Still, the Foxes could have won it at the death but Timothy Castagne’s effort was palmed clear by Nick Pope. This point which could prove vital for Leicester’s chances of avoiding relegation this season. Here are how the players rated as Newcastle secured Champions League football: Newcastle United Nick Pope, 7 Probably won’t get an easier clean sheet in his career but turned up in stoppage time to deny Timothy Castagne a snatch-and-grab winner. Kieran Trippier, 5 Arguably Newcastle’s best creator by whipping crosses in from the right wing. Some were better than others with his set piece deliveries providing more threat than from open play. Fabian Schar, 5 Got the crowd excited with a volley from range but smoked it high and wide. Was a quiet night for him defensively. Sven Botman, 6 Played most of the match on the halfway line usually to restart Newcastle’s attacks on goal but was solid in shutting down any counter-attacking runs. Dan Burn, 6 Helped Isak attack down the wing with some overlapping runs and set up Newcastle’s best chance only for Wilson to hit the woodwork. Bruno Guimaraes, 5 Pulled out chips, tricks and threaded passes to try and break Leicester down. Collected a yellow card for a high tackle on Soumaré and lucky not to see red. Sean Longstaff, 7 Impressed on his return from injury to show why he’s an important part of Newcastle’s midfield. Provided an alternate option to the forward line by making runs into the box to help spread Leicester’s defence and got back to cut out a counter-attacking run from Jamie Vardy. Elliot Anderson, 6 A late replacement for the injured Joelinton, performed admirably in the midfield, linking up with Isak to good effect on the left side. Miguel Almiron, 6 Characteristically hard-working and willing to run, caused Thomas trouble all night and pummelled the post from close range. Alexander Isak, 7 Is fully bedded in as Newcastle’s go-to on the left-wing. His footwork is wonderful to watch and a nightmare for defenders, lacked a clinical touch in front of goal. Callum Wilson, 6 Should have scored after Dan Burn nodded down a cross to him, hit the post and had an effort cleared off the line. Substitutes Allan Saint-Maximin, 6 Jacob Murphy, n/a Anthony Gordon, n/a Leicester City Daniel Iverson, 7 A mistake in the first half almost undid his team’s hard work but was twice helped by the post as well as a goal-line clearance from Wilfred Ndidi. Made some fantastic saves in the second half to palm Isak’s shot over the top and deny Longstaff from close range. Timothy Castagne, 6 Was made to work hard against the pace and trickery of Isak and ably managed to keep him at bay with help from a defence-minded Ndidi. Could have won it at the death but fizzed his effort straight at Nick Pope. Harry Souttar, 7 Looked nervous early on but grew into the match and was a strong presence in the box especially against crosses from the wide areas. Jonny Evans, 6 His experience was crucial in the heart of Leicester’s back five, brought confidence and control to a defence that has been lacking recently. Was missed when he went off. Wout Faes, 6 Eager to throw himself into tackles but composed enough to time his challenges well and recover the ball for the Foxes. Worked nicely alongside Evans and Thomas. Luke Thomas, 5 Lost his battle with Miguel Almiron and was fortunate that the Newcastle winger left his shooting boots at home. Improved as the match went on but offered no threat in attack. Boubakary Soumaré, 5 Asked to do a job defensively but was useful in transition on the rare occasions when Leicester earned the chance to counter. Youri Tielemans, 5 Wasn’t afforded the opportunity to show off his attacking talents but provided Leicester with a target to get the ball too when they needed to clear their lines. Wilfred Ndidi, 7 Cleared Callum Wilson’s headed effort off the line to keep Leicester in the contest late in the first half. Did a decent job of handling Guimaraes and Longstaff. Kelechi Iheanacho, 3 Hooked off at half-time for James Maddison with Leicester having an xG of 0. No threat in a system built to counter-attack. Jamie Vardy, 4 Asked to do a thankless job up top as the rest of the team dropped deep to defend. Didn’t get a chance at goal but made some interventions from defensive set pieces. Substitutes James Maddison, 6 Patson Daka, 6 Harvey Barnes, 6 Nampalys Mendy, n/a Read More Premier League clubs ‘furious’ over delays to Man City and Everton financial cases Dean Smith knows time is not on Leicester’s side as they fight for survival Eddie Howe won’t ‘relax on a beach’ if Newcastle qualify for Champions League Newcastle clinch Champions League qualification with Leicester draw Premier League clubs ‘furious’ over delays to financial cases including Man City Newcastle vs Leicester LIVE: Premier League result and reaction

Newcastle’s biggest win in two decades was a draw. After a 20-year absence from the Champions League, they are back, perhaps headed to Madrid or Munich or Milan next season. A point was all they needed against Leicester and a point was what they got. It was a stalemate to savour for Eddie Howe, a largely uneventful game to demonstrate stunning progress in 18 months. Bottom after his first game in charge, Newcastle will now rub shoulders with the European elite. Perhaps a draw means they may face Leicester again next season, though their fate remains more uncertain. They finished three places above Newcastle last year and are 15 below them now. The turnaround has been a triumph of smart recruitment, excellent coaching and, less palatably for many outside Tyneside, Newcastle’s Saudi owners. United have had an injection of funds but some £250 million has largely been spent remarkably well. But around half the starting line-up tends to consist of players Howe inherited and who were winless three months into last season. Some have developed beyond recognition. So has a team: Newcastle’s aim for the season was to qualify for continental competition. Even a Conference League spot would have been considered a success, but instead they have vaulted back into the Champions League. It is a terrific feat by Howe, whose last full season of management culminated in Bournemouth’s relegation to the Championship. It may also be welcomed by one of the world’s more oppressive regimes, with Newcastle 80 percent owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Two of their powerbrokers, Jamie Reuben and Mehrdad Ghodoussi, were applauded as they found the net in a half-time shootout. The players found it altogether harder to apply the finishing touch as they struck the woodwork three times. Which, ultimately, made more of a difference to Leicester, whose fate is out of their hands but who still have some hope; beat West Ham and, if Everton do not win, they will survive. Their plight concentrated their minds but Newcastle succeeded where they twice narrowly failed under Brendan Rodgers. He had twin fifth-place finishes from seasons when Leicester occupied top-four spots for the majority of the time. Newcastle have seen the job through. Perhaps both the scoreline and the venue were fitting. Only Liverpool and Arsenal have won at St James’ Park this season and only four clubs have triumphed there in Howe’s reign. They owe their top-four finish to consistency, particularly for a spell either side of the World Cup. A 17-game unbeaten run was, at one stage, the longest undefeated spell in any of Europe’s top five leagues. Only Manchester City have lost fewer Premier League matches this season and Newcastle, who have won as many games as Liverpool, can see the merit of the draw in the table. They have shown a toughness others lacked, a reliability and a resolve that meant they could grind their way to a point. They had a host of clean sheets in the first half of the season; they have been rarer of late but Nick Pope’s fine injury-time save from Timothy Castagne prevented defeat and spared them an anxious final day at Chelsea. They have benefited from two inspired scoring bursts, from Miguel Almiron in autumn and Callum Wilson in recent weeks. Perhaps it rendered it more of a surprise that Wilson endured an off night. Leicester kept a first clean sheet in six months, but they required assistance from the upright and relied on Newcastle’s radars malfunctioning. They had two double reprieves just before half-time. Wilson almost scored his eighth goal in six games, hooking a shot against the post and heading an effort Wilfred Ndidi cleared off the line. Then Almiron struck the post with a half-volley before Alexander Isak blazed over. Most glaringly. Bruno Guimaraes headed against the post from a yard out after Wout Faes had inadvertently flicked on Kieran Trippier’s corner. Leicester were entitled to argue – as John Terry seemed to – that the Brazilian should have been dispatched to the dressing room long before then but he escaped with a yellow card for planting his studs into Boubakary Soumare’s knee; had VAR intervened the punishment may have been greater. But Leicester got what they came for. Dean Smith adopted a policy of safety in numbers to bolster his porous rearguard, bringing in Harry Souttar as an extra centre-back and playing 5-3-2. Most contentiously – and arguably unsuccessfully given the lack of the threat the impotent strike duo of Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho possessed – he benched his two top scorers. James Maddison came on at half-time, Harvey Barnes for the final half-hour. Neither altered proceedings even if, after his side camped behind the ball for much of the match, Smith urged them on at the end. So Leicester need favours from elsewhere on the last day of the season. Newcastle need none. Champions League, here they come. Read More Newcastle vs Leicester player ratings Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron miss the mark Eddie Howe won’t ‘relax on a beach’ if Newcastle qualify for Champions League Newcastle may have Saudi riches, but Eddie Howe’s team is built on bargains

Nick Pope ensured Newcastle booked their Champions League place with a game to spare as he denied Leicester a priceless victory in their bid for Premier League survival. The Magpies’ £10million summer signing kept out Timothy Castagne’s volley in the second minute of stoppage time with his first save of the game to secure a 0-0 draw on a night when the home side battered at the door but were unable to find a way through. Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron were both denied by the woodwork, but a point was all their team needed to ensure their place among the continent’s big boys for the first time in 20 years. By contrast, Leicester, who are still two points adrift of safety, will head into their final-day clash with West Ham knowing their fate is not in their own hands. Eddie Howe’s men were lauded by a crowd of 52,152 on the final whistle, having secured Champions League football for just the third time in the club’s history and way ahead of the schedule drawn up by the club’s Saudi-backed owners when they took control in October 2021. In some senses it proved to be a frustrating 90 minutes – it might have been more so had key midfielder Bruno Guimaraes seen red rather than yellow for a poor early challenge of Boubakary Soumare – but it was ultimately the bigger picture which mattered. Howe was forced to make a last-minute change when, after he had taken part in the warm-up, midfielder Joelinton was unable to start and was replaced by Elliot Anderson. Any fears the reshuffle might unsettle his team proved unfounded as they took the game by the scruff of the neck amid a party atmosphere at St James’ Park, although Guimaraes was perhaps fortunate to escape with only a booking for his studs-up ninth-minute clash with Soumare. The Magpies dominated possession but in the early stages were unable to find a telling final ball. Almiron, who had made another high-octane start, fired over after cutting inside from the right and Anderson tested goalkeeper Daniel Iversen for the first time with a curling attempt. Alexander Isak was seeing plenty of the ball down the left but sliced a long-range effort well wide as the Magpies piled forward repeatedly without ever really being able to summon up the required precision to make the pressure tell. For their part, City attempted to hit Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho long and early and, although they achieved a measure of success, they met with stubborn resistance from Fabian Schar and Sven Botman. Wilson twice went close to his 19th goal of the season four minutes before the break when he stabbed a shot against a post and then saw Wilfred Ndidi clear his follow-up header off the line, while Almiron was similarly denied by the woodwork before Isak steered the rebound wide seconds later. Wilson headed over from a Kieran Trippier corner in stoppage time after Iversen had misjudged the flight and the half ended goalless. James Maddison entered the fray at the break as a replacement for Iheanacho, but the traffic continued to head very much in the direction of his team’s goal, with Isak and Almiron menacing out wide, although the massed ranks of blue held impressively firm. Iversen had to turn a 59th-minute Isak snapshot over his crossbar and block Sean Longstaff’s 76th-minute drive with a foot, but it was the Foxes who almost snatched victory at the death when Pope was forced into his first save of the game to keep out Castagne’s stoppage-time volley. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Juventus docked 10 points with immediate effect over transfer irregularities Tiger Woods withdraws from next month’s US Open Sean Maitland grateful to have Saracens future sorted ahead of Premiership final