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Premier League | Gameweek 38
May 12, 2019 at 3pm UK
 
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Rafael Benitez: Finishing tenth last year was "miracle" for Newcastle

:Headline: Rafael Benitez: Finishing tenth last year was 'miracle' for Newcastle: ID:358922: from db_amp
The Magpies could finish the campaign with a point more than they managed 12 months ago.

Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez has admitted it was always going to be impossible to replicate last season's "miracle" top-10 finish this time around.

The Magpies will bring down the curtain on another tough season at Fulham on Sunday with their Premier League status intact and perhaps even with a point more than they managed by the end of the last campaign.

The 44 points they collected last season was enough to secure 10th place on their first season back in the top flight, but they will run out at Craven Cottage on 42, eight adrift of Watford who currently occupy that spot.

Benitez said: "We didn't realise last year that to finish 10th was a miracle. This year, we expecting that, 'We finished 10th, maybe we can finish seventh', and it was impossible.

"You can be lucky one year or you can do really well one year, but to be consistent, you have to have everything in place.

"Also, remember Brighton, Huddersfield and us, we were promoted and we were more or less there. But when you have Fulham promoted or Wolves and they are spending £100million, it could be totally different.

"To be where we are now is a great achievement, maybe not bigger than last year, but it was more difficult, for sure, this season."

Newcastle guaranteed their place in next season's Premier League with three games to spare, although that looked a distant hope at the start of the campaign when they went 10 games without a victory and collected only three of the first 30 points they contested.

Asked if a 12th or 13th-place finish was about right for him team, Benitez said: "You could have asked me the same question after eight games and I would have been over the moon.

"At the beginning, you never know. Because the teams that were promoted and also the teams at the bottom of the middle of the table were spending so much money, I think it's fair enough.

"We did well. We missed some points in some games and maybe we were lucky in other games, so I think it's fair enough. I'm still not happy with that because I would like to be higher, but I think it's fair enough."

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3Chelsea126422314922
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5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
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12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
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18Crystal Palace121561017-78
19Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
20Southampton11119721-144
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