It would be a major surprise if Newcastle United were to be relegated this season – but with five games to play, the Magpies cannot take their survival for granted just yet.
It's far from being just Newcastle or Cardiff, but what would it take for the Welsh side to rise above the Magpies?
Cardiff City are seven points behind Newcastle – the gap is effectively eight once the two clubs’ goal difference is taken into account – but Neil Warnock’s side now have a game in hand.
Southampton, sitting in 17th position, also have a game in hand on the Magpies, while 16th-placed Brighton have played two fewer matches.
But ... those clubs have to WIN them to pose a threat!
Cardiff travel to Burnley on Saturday for a match that looks absolutely crucial to their survival prospects. Lose that, and it is hard to see how they can survive.
Win though, and with games against Brighton, Fulham and Crystal Palace still to come, the Bluebirds could ensure Newcastle suffer a nervy end to the season if they are unable to win at Leicester on Friday night.
Victory over Crystal Palace would have almost certainly put the matter to bed on Saturday, but on a day when Cardiff City sat out of top-flight action and Burnley won at AFC Bournemouth, it resulted in the bookies cutting the odds on United going down significantly.
The Magpies had odds as long as 113/1 with one bookie before the game, but the odds tumbled down after the loss to Palace.
Indeed, both BetFred and Coral offered odds of 33/1 after the final whistle yet the situation is very much in Newcastle's hands.
The Palace game was a missed opportunity in many ways though, as defeat against Leicester City on Friday night combined with a win for the Bluebirds at Burnley the next day will lessen the gap to just four points with four matches left to play.
But Neil Warnock knows that his side have it all to do with games away to Burnley and Brighton next, and clashes with Liverpool (h), Fulham (a), Crystal Palace (h) and Man United (a).
Cardiff are still 1/12 with the majority of bookies to go down and join already-relegated Fulham and Huddersfield Town.
And while Burnley are ahead of Newcastle by a point, they are as low as 9/1 to get sucked into the bottom three with William Hill and 12/1 with BetWay.
Southampton are also 40/1 with the majority of bookies.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Leicester City (A)
Southampton (H)
Brighton and Hove Albion (A)
Liverpool (H)
Fulham (A)
NEWCASTLE 0 CRYSTAL PALACE 1
Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär, Lascelles, Lejeune (Dummett 65), Ritchie (Atsu 90), Pérez, Hayden, Ki Sung-yueng (Shelvey 76), Almirón, Rondón
Subs: Muto, Fernandez, Manquillo, Darlow
ARSENAL 2 NEWCASTLE 0
Dubravka, Yedlin, Lejeune, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie (Kenedy 75), Pérez (Muto 77), Hayden (Ki Sung-yueng 67), Diamé, Almirón, Rondón
Subs: Shelvey, Fernandez, Manquillo, Darlow
NEWCASTLE 3 EVERTON 2
Dubravka, Schär, Lascelles (Dummett 45), Lejeune, Yedlin, Hayden, Ki Sung-yueng (Shelvey 79), Ritchie (Kenedy 73), Pérez, Rondón, Almirón
Subs: Diamé, Manquillo, Joselu, Darlow
WEST HAM 2 NEWCASTLE 0
Dubravka, Manquillo, Schär (Dummett 65), Lascelles, Lejeune, Ritchie, Pérez, Longstaff (Diamé 45), Hayden (Atsu 79), Almirón, Rondón
Subs: Ki Sung-yueng, Muto, Yedlin, Darlow
NEWCASTLE 2 BURNLEY 0
Dubravka, Manquillo, Schär, Lascelles, Lejeune, Ritchie, Pérez (Joselu 87), Hayden, Longstaff (Diamé 85), Almirón (Dummett 80), Rondón
Subs: Ki Sung-yueng, Yedlin, Darlow, Atsu
NEWCASTLE 2 HUDDERSFIELD 0 (Rondon, Perez)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär, Lascelles, Lejeune, Ritchie (Kenedy 68), Pérez, Hayden, Longstaff, Almirón (Atsu 81), Rondón (Joselu 84)
Subs: Dummett, Ki Sung-yueng, Manquillo, Woodman
SPURS 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär, Lascelles, Lejeune, Ritchie (Barreca 86), Pérez, Longstaff, Hayden, Atsu (Kenedy 82), Rondón
Subs: Clark, Fernandez, Manquillo, Joselu, Woodman
NEWCASTLE 2 MAN CITY 1 (Rondon, Ritchie (p))
Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär, Lascelles, Lejeune, Ritchie, Pérez (Manquillo 90+1), Hayden, Longstaff, Atsu (Kenedy 87), Rondón
Subs: Clark, Murphy, Fernandez, Roberts, Woodman
FAC NEWCASTLE 0 WATFORD 2
Woodman, Manquillo, Fernandez (Schär 81), Lascelles, Clark, Ritchie (Atsu 73), Murphy (Pérez 72), Hayden, Longstaff, Kenedy, Joselu
Subs: Rondón, Dubravka, Lejeune, Yedlin, Atsu
FAC BLACKBURN 2 NEWCASTLE 4 AET (Longstaff, Roberts, Joselu, Perez)
Woodman, Sterry, Fernandez, Clark (Lascelles 45- Substituted for Hayden 57), Manquillo, Schär, Murphy, Longstaff, Roberts (Pérez 94), Ritchie (Atsu 109), Joselu
Subs: Rondón, Yedlin, Harker
NEWCASTLE 3 CARDIFF 0 (Schär 2, Perez)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär, Lascelles, Lejeune, Ritchie (Manquillo 85), Pérez, Hayden, Longstaff, Atsu, Rondón
Subs: Clark, Murphy, Joselu, Sterry, Roberts, Woodman
CHELSEA 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Clark)
Dubravka, Yedlin (Manquillo 82), Lejeune, Lascelles, Clark, Ritchie, Pérez (Murphy 82), Longstaff, Hayden, Atsu, Rondón
Subs: Schär, Fernandez, Joselu, Sterry, Woodman
FAC NEWCASTLE 1 BLACKBURN 1 (Ritchie pen)
Woodman, Sterry, Schär, Lejeune, Manquillo, Murphy (Atsu 75), Hayden (Shelvey 57), Longstaff (Pérez 80), Ritchie, Kenedy, Joselu
Subs: Clark, Rondón, Yedlin, Harker
NEWCASTLE 0 MAN UTD 2
Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär (Muto 81), Lascelles, Ritchie, Pérez (Kenedy 69), Hayden, Diamé (Shelvey 53), Atsu, Rondón
Subs: Manquillo, Lejeune, Joselu, Woodman
WATFORD 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Rondon)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Fernandez (Schär 45), Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie, Pérez, Hayden (Shelvey 79), Diamé, Atsu, Rondón
Subs: Murphy, Muto, Manquillo, Joselu, Woodman
LIVERPOOL 4 NEWCASTLE 0
Dubravka, Yedlin, Fernandez, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie (Murphy 80), Hayden, Diamé, Kenedy (Longstaff 73), Muto, Joselu
Subs: Schär, Rondón, Pérez, Manquillo, Woodman
NEWCASTLE 0 FULHAM 0
Dubravka, Manquillo (Yedlin 84), Schär, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie, Atsu (Kenedy 72), Ki Sung-yueng, Diamé, Pérez, Rondón
Subs: Muto, Hayden, Fernandez, Joselu, Woodman
HUDDERSFIELD 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Rondon)
Dubravka, Schär, Lascelles, Clark, Manquillo, Diamé, Ki Sung-yueng (Hayden 72), Atsu, Kenedy (Dummett), Pérez, Rondón (Ritchie 81)
Subs: Murphy, Muto, Joselu, Woodman
NEWCASTLE 1 WOLVES 2 (Perez)
Dubravka, Lascelles, Fernandez (Manquillo 45), Clark, Yedlin, Diamé, Ki Sung-yueng, Atsu (Kenedy 89), Ritchie, Pérez, Rondón (Joselu 86)
Subs: Dummett, Muto, Longstaff, Woodman
EVERTON 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Rondon)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär, Lascelles, Fernandez, Manquillo, Atsu, Diamé, Ki Sung-yueng, Murphy (Pérez 64), Rondón (Joselu 74)
Subs: Clark, Shelvey, Muto, Longstaff, Woodman
NEWCASTLE 0 WEST HAM 3
Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär, Fernandez, Manquillo, Ritchie (Atsu 54), Diamé, Ki Sung-yueng, Kenedy (Shelvey 70), Pérez (Joselu 78), Rondón
Subs: Clark, Lascelles, Longstaff, Woodman
BURNLEY 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Mee OG, Clark)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär, Fernandez, Clark, Ritchie, Kenedy (Hayden 90), Diamé, Ki Sung-yueng, Pérez, Rondón (Joselu 71)
Subs: Murphy, Shelvey, Manquillo, Atsu, Woodman
NEWCASTLE 2 BOURNEMOUTH 1 (Rondon 2)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär, Fernandez, Dummett, Ritchie (Hayden 74), Ki Sung-yueng, Diamé (Atsu 80), Kenedy (Clark 78), Pérez, Rondón
Subs: Clark, Murphy, Manquillo, Joselu, Darlow
NEWCASTLE 1 WATFORD 0 (Perez)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles (Schär 45), Fernandez, Dummett, Ritchie, Shelvey (Ki Sung-yueng 51), Diamé, Kenedy, Muto (Pérez 45+2), Rondón
Subs: Manquillo, Joselu, Darlow, Atsu
SOUTHAMPTON 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Fernandez, Dummett, Ritchie, Shelvey, Diamé (Ki Sung-yueng 76), Kenedy, Pérez (Rondón 69), Muto (Atsu 80)
Subs: Schär, Manquillo, Joselu, Darlow
NEWCASTLE 0 BRIGHTON 1
Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Fernandez, Dummett, Ritchie, Shelvey, Diamé, Kenedy, Pérez, Muto (Joselu 74)
Subs: Schär, Murphy, Hayden, Manquillo, Darlow, Atsu
MAN UTD 3 NEWCASTLE 2 (Kenedy, Muto)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Fernandez, Manquillo, Ritchie, Shelvey, Diamé, Kenedy (Murphy 68), Pérez (Joselu 88), Muto (Atsu 78)
Subs: Schär, Hayden, Darlow
NEWCASTLE 0 LEICESTER 2
Dubravka, Yedlin (Manquillo 80), Lascelles, Clark, Kenedy, Ritchie (Murphy 65), Diamé, Shelvey, Atsu, Pérez (Muto 69), Joselu
Subs: Schär, Hayden, Darlow, Longstaff
CRYSTAL PALACE 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Fernandez, Dummett, Ritchie (Atsu 73), Diamé, Shelvey, Kenedy, Pérez (Muto 81), Rondón (Joselu 45)
Subs: Clark, Ki Sung-yueng, Manquillo, Darlow
NEWCASTLE 1 ARSENAL 2 (Clark)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles (Clark 45), Fernandez, Dummett, Ritchie (Muto 79), Hayden, Diamé, Murphy (Kenedy 69), Pérez, Joselu
Subs: Shelvey, Rondón, Manquillo, Dar
MAN CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Yedlin)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Fernandez, Clark (Murphy 81), Dummett, Kenedy (Atsu 54), Diamé, Ki Sung-yueng, Pérez, Rondón (Joselu 73)
Subs: Muto, Sterry, Darlow, Longstaff
NOTTINGHAM FOR 3 NEWCASTLE 1 (Rondon)
Darlow, Sterry, Schär, Fernandez (Pérez 69), Clark, Atsu, Longstaff, Ki Sung-yueng, Kenedy, Muto (Murphy 77), Joselu (Rondón 82)
Subs: Elliot, Dummett, Diamé, Yedlin
NEWCASTLE 1 CHELSEA 2 (Joselu)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Schär (Muto 79), Fernandez, Clark, Dummett, Ritchie, Diamé, Ki Sung-yueng, Murphy (Pérez 73), Rondón (Joselu 62)
Subs: Sterry, Darlow, Atsu, Longstaff
CARDIFF 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Dubravka, Manquillo (Hayden 45), Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Ritchie (Murphy 70), Shelvey, Diamé, Kenedy, Pérez (Muto 65), Joselu
Subs: Ki Sung-yueng, Rondón, Fernandez, Darlow
NEWCASTLE 1 TOTTENHAM 2 (Joselu)
Dubravka, Yedlin (90+2), Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Ritchie (Atsu 69), Shelvey, Diamé, Kenedy, Pérez (Muto 81),Joselu (Rondón 59)
Subs: Ki Sung-yueng, Schär, Manquillo, Darlow