Benitez 'Don't Look At The Table'

Last updated : 01 May 2016 By Footy Mad - Editor

1 Leicester 76
2 Tottenham 69
3 Arsenal 67
4 Man City 64
5 West Ham 59
6 Man Utd 59
7 Liverpool 55
8 So'ton 54
9 Stoke 48
10 Chelsea 47
11 Everton 44
12 Watford 44
13 W Brom 41
14 B'mouth 41
15 Swansea  40
16 C Palace 39
17 Newcastle 33
18 S'land 32
19 Norwich 31
20 A Villa 16

Saturday's hard-fought 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace coupled with Sunderland's 1-1 draw at Stoke edged the Magpies into 17th place ahead of Norwich's evening trip to Arsenal and gave them genuine hope of survival.

However, Benitez, as he has done since his arrival on Tyneside, is concentrating only on the next game, and on this occasion it is next weekend's trip to relegated Aston Villa.

Benitez said: "It could be important for us. I'm sure it's important for the fans and everyone now when you see the table. But we still have to keep going.

"We know that we have to approach the game against Aston Villa like another final, and that's it. We cannot look too much at the table, we just have to be sure that the next game, we will be ready."

Asked if the Magpies will realistically have to beat both Villa and Tottenham in their final game, the 56-year-old Spaniard was equally focussed.

He said: "No, we have to win one - the next one - and after, we will think about the other one. That's the only way."

Victory over Palace, which extended Newcastle's recent unbeaten run to four games, was secured by Andros Townsend's fine 58th-minute free-kick, his third goal in five games, although they needed keeper Karl Darlow's 70th-minute penalty save from former Magpie Yohan Cabaye to see them home.

Benitez said: "You can say always when a keeper saves a penalty that he is a hero, but then we can say the same with Andros.

"He did really well, I am really pleased for him - and hopefully he doesn't need to save any more penalties. That would be fine."

Benitez revealed Townsend had been practising free-kicks, but succeeded with one which did not come from the play book.

He said: "It was fantastic. We were practising different free-kicks, but not this one, so he did well."