Newcastle United's ability to sustain their "energy" is the key to finishing inside the top four, according to Jamie Redknapp.
Newcastle, Manchester United and Tottenham are battling it out for the final two Champions League places after runaway leaders Arsenal and Manchester City looked to have all but secured the top two spots.
The Magpies' 2-0 victory over Man United on Sunday was a huge boost for their chances to finish inside the top four come May, a result that saw them overtake Erik ten Hag's side in the table.
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Redknapp believes that Newcastle's main challenge now lies in their ability to maintain their current form, as he admitted that Eddie Howe's squad did not shock him by claiming all three points against the Red Devils.
"I wasn’t surprised at all I have to be honest," he told Sky Sports when asked about the 2-0 result. "Turning up at the stadium there was an energy about it and you could see even before the game the team that he picked, they went for the throats of Manchester United - they had too much energy for them.
"Can they sustain it? Because they’ve got themselves in a magnificent position. Six weeks ago I didn’t think this Newcastle side were capable of getting into the Champions League places. They looked like they’d run out of a little bit of energy, a couple of injuries, now all of a sudden the squad looks fit and they’ve got players in there that you can rotate."
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