Newcastle 4-1 Brighton: Magpies close in on top four spot

 Callum Wilson and Bruno Guimaraes led Newcastle to the brink of Champions League qualification with an emphatic victory over Brighton. After Deniz Undav scored an own goal and Dan Burn added a towering header to give Newcastle a 2-0 halftime lead, Wilson netted his 18th goal of the season and assisted Guimaraes for a late 4-1 win in front of a jubilant crowd of 52,122 at St James' Park. A top-four finish is guaranteed for Eddie Howe's team if Liverpool lose to Aston Villa or even with a draw due to their superior goal difference. They can secure the position themselves by defeating struggling Leicester on Monday.

Throughout the game, Brighton struggled to replicate their performance that derailed Arsenal's title aspirations. This was partly due to the absence of Levi Colwill, Alexis Mac Allister, Julio Enciso, and Evan Ferguson from the starting lineup, but largely because of the relentless pressure applied by Newcastle. The Magpies dominated early on, with Joe Willock's cross finding Miguel Almiron, whose shot was blocked, and Fabian Schar's free-kick saved by Jason Steele.

Willock narrowly missed a chance from Almiron's pass, and the Paraguayan himself missed the target from a difficult angle. Newcastle's early intensity prevented Brighton from playing out of their own half, frustrating manager Roberto De Zerbi. The Seagulls' defense finally crumbled in the 23rd minute when Trippier's corner was inadvertently redirected into his own net by Undav.

Burn's shot was deflected wide, and Mitoma's attempt failed to trouble Pope. However, Newcastle extended their lead just before halftime when Trippier's free-kick found Burn, who headed the ball past Steele. Almiron squandered an opportunity to further extend Newcastle's lead early in the second half, shooting straight at Steele. Undav redeemed himself by scoring for Brighton seconds later, capitalizing on a through-ball from Billy Gilmour.

Brighton introduced Mac Allister, Enciso, and Ferguson, while Willock left the field due to a hamstring injury, with Elliot Anderson taking his place. Newcastle had penalty appeals denied and Steele made an outstanding save to deny Alexander Isak's header. Enciso narrowly missed the target, but Newcastle launched a devastating late surge to secure the victory. Wilson scored his third goal of the match during an 89th-minute counter-attack initiated by Almiron before assisting Guimaraes for a 4-1 scoreline in injury time.