Newcastle face a wait to find out whether they will play European football next season after overcoming Brentford to secure seventh place in the Premier League.
The Magpies’ win means that a Manchester City victory over Manchester United in the FA Cup final next weekend will confirm their place in the 2024-25 UEFA Conference League.
Brentford’s Ivan Toney had an early goal disallowed against his former club, but Eddie Howe’s team took the lead midway through the first half when Harvey Barnes nodded Bruno Guimaraes’ delivery into the roof of the net.
Sean Longstaff had a close-range finish disallowed for offside before Jacob Murphy converted Alexander Isak’s low cross at the far post following an error by Ethan Pinnock.
Isak got on the scoresheet himself moments later, becoming the first Newcastle player since Alan Shearer in 2003-04 to score 21 goals in a Premier League season when he sidefooted Guimaraes’ through ball into the far corner.
Vitaly Janelt’s first goal since February 2023 reduced the arrears early in the second half, and Yoanne Wissa added a second for Brentford with a fabulous long-range strike into the far corner.
But Guimaraes all but ended the Bees’ hopes of salvaging anything from the game with 13 minutes remaining, firing home the rebound after Mark Flekken had saved Isak’s free-kick.