Newcastle United face stiff competition for Champions League qualification, but they are in a great position with 10 games left to play having won four games on the spin since the international break.

There is no doubting Newcastle – all but guaranteed their first top-half finish since 2017/18 and highest since 2011/12 - are only looking upwards.

Newcastle are third in the Premier League, with 53 points from their 28 games so far. What have you made of the last six months on Tyneside?

Newcastle continued on a massively high trajectory, certainly until the end of 2022, but the World Cup break came just at the wrong time for them.

At the start of 2023, the focus really shifted to getting into the Carabao Cup final and the league form slipped a little bit.

But they were still in and around the top four and got to the final, which was a huge achievement as it was their first final since 1999. The emotional expenditure of that really took its toll on the league form. They have struggled to score goals in the first few months of the year, slipped out of the top four and lost the final in pretty deflating circumstances, so that had a knock-on effect.

Since then, though, they have re-grouped and picked up four massive wins, which have set them up nicely for the run-in.

The Magpies are in a prime position to finish in the top four for the first time in 20 years. However, whatever happens from here, it goes without saying that this season has been a resounding success…

It would be absolutely phenomenal if Newcastle manage to get into the top four; going into this season it was still something you couldn’t have comprehended.

Even with the takeover and the ambitions of the club, it was very much seen as organic growth and the target was a top-10 finish and a cup run. It looks almost certain that they’re going to be in some kind of European competition, but for a complete collapse, which would also be great.

To get into the top four would expedite the process of what they are trying to do, which is to be in the Champions League every season. The squad are exceeding expectations and they have still got a mid-table Premier League wage budget so that would make it even more impressive.

Because supporters have been able to dream, there would be a tinge of disappointment if they don’t get into the Champions League, but even to get into the Europa League or Conference League with a top-six finish would be a success.

Which player should Brentford fans keep an eye on?

Alexander Isak. Newcastle paid a club-record fee of nearly £60 million for him last year and he scored two in his first three games, then suffered a thigh injury, so fans only saw a glimpse of him and then he wasn’t fit again until after the World Cup.

It’s taken time to build up load and fitness, yet he started the last two games before the international break and was absolutely electrifying in both.

Isak brings something different, has pace and clever running lines, is very good at laying the ball off and then running in behind.

He is technically very good and brings an ingenuity that, beyond Allan Saint-Maximin, Newcastle don’t really have elsewhere.

How Newcastle likely to set up at the Gtech?

Eddie Howe almost exclusively starts with a 4-3-3 formation and I very much expect that to be the case again.

Isak will likely be the central striker, then, due to injury problems in attack, I think you’ll see Joelinton as the left-sided forward and possibly Jacob Murphy on the right, then a midfield three of Bruno Guimaraes, Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff.

This formation is very dependent on Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier pulling the strings down the right side.

Newcastle are very right-side dominant in terms of attack because they have, arguably, the best person from crossing situations in the Premier League at their disposal in Trippier.

The last meeting back in October was a forgettable one from a Brentford perspective. What’s your score prediction for this one?

Brentford will want revenge, but I’m going to go for an entertaining 2-2 draw.