Total focus on top five spot for Howe

THE race for the Champions League, as Eddie Howe predicted, looks set to go down to the wire this season.

- By AARON STOKES

Newcastle United have their fate firmly in their hands, sitting in fourth, while Manchester City, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are seeking to finish above the Magpies with three games remaining.

From the points deduction dished out to Forest, to the record revenues of Man City, to the mammoth spending of Chelsea and the ongoing PSR considerations needed at both Newcastle and Villa, each club in the race has their own financial reasons for seeking that sweet UEFA revenue by booking their spot at Europe's top table.