Newcastle United have seven fixtures remaining of the 2022/23 Premier League season as they look to secure a top four finish and more importantly a place in the Champions League ahead of the new term.

The Magpies have experienced nothing short of a remarkable campaign at St. James’ Park, with Eddie Howe most recently guiding his team to an emphatic 6-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, which stands them in good stead heading into the run-in.

The northeast outfit are more than entitled to be optimistic about the future as they look to finish their final few matches strongly, so with that being said, here’s how we think their remaining games will pan out.

Newcastle fixtures

• 27 April: Everton (A)

• 30 April: Southampton (H)

• 7 May: Arsenal (H)

• 13 May: Leeds (A)

• 18 May: Brighton (H)

• 22 May: Leicester (H)

• 28 May: Chelsea (A)

Everton v Newcastle

After the remarkable 6-1 victory over Spurs on Sunday, the Magpies will be pumped up and ready to go again when they travel to Goodison Park to take on Sean Dyche’s side on Thursday evening, with another three points for the visitors potentially huge in the race for the top four.

Howe has to make sure that his side head to Merseyside with the same kind of ruthless attitude and prolific form they produced at the weekend, and if they can replicate or improve on their 1-0 win from the reverse fixture, that Champions League music will start to sound a lot closer.

Prediction: Everton 1 – 3 Newcastle

Newcastle v Southampton

The Premier League fixtures are coming thick and fast for Newcastle, whose next home fixture is versus Southampton. The Saints are in a vulnerable position and in serious danger of relegation but will be raring to secure safety after their much-improved performance and point against Arsenal.

From a St. James’ Park perspective, this can be considered yet another very winnable match up against a struggling side, with another victory allowing them to continue their momentum and gain ground on their top four rivals.

Prediction: Newcastle 2 – 1 Southampton

Newcastle v Arsenal

Newcastle facing Everton and Southampton in back-to-back games both, on paper, should result in two comfortable wins, but the tests don’t come much harder than hosting the current league leaders, who will be desperate to create distance from Manchester City.

The Magpies crowd are sure to once again be in great voice and prepared to get behind their team, but this will be a huge test of character and mentality and is likely to be the most difficult remaining fixture of the run-in.

Prediction: Newcastle 2 – 3 Arsenal

Leeds v Newcastle

Following what is sure to be a great watch for the neutrals against Arsenal, Newcastle hit the road once again, this time travelling to Elland Road to face another team who are currently in a battle to maintain their top-flight status.

Back in the reverse fixture in December, the two clubs played out a 0-0 stalemate, so Howe will be hoping that his side can go to Yorkshire and gain revenge by picking up all three points.

Prediction: Leeds 0 – 2 Newcastle

Newcastle v Brighton

As the 2022/23 season begins to draw to a close, Brighton could prove to be a potential banana skin for Newcastle, with Roberto De Zerbi’s side just four points away from a place in the Europa League with two, and in some cases three, games in hand on their opponents around them.

The Seagulls will be hoping to secure a qualification spot in the hunt for silverware after crashing out of the FA Cup semi-finals to Manchester United, and this hunger combined with De Zerbi's extremely impressive system could pose a slight problem to the northeast outfit.

Prediction: Newcastle 1 – 1 Brighton

Newcastle v Leicester

A May fixture at home, and indeed the final game of the season at home, to a team like Leicester who are fighting for their lives, is one of the best scenarios you could ask for as a Toon fan. And whilst Dean Smith’s visitors will be giving it their all to secure a much-needed win, Newcastle’s confidence, we believe, is bound to come out on top.

Anything other than a victory in this game would be unexpected, which isn’t to say that the Foxes can’t be a threat on their day, but the Magpies will surely hold enough self-belief that they can see off their opponents.

Prediction: Newcastle 3 – 1 Leicester

Chelsea v Newcastle

The Premier League season ends with a trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea on May 28, which has the potential to be a huge game with plenty at stake for both sides. The Blues could still be fighting to qualify for European football should they start to pick up some positive results, whilst Newcastle could have the opportunity to confirm their place in the Champions League.

The Magpies will be hoping that the Blues end up in a position where they have nothing to play for on the final day of the campaign, which could make it slightly less competitive on their behalf, but nevertheless, this result is likely to prove definitive for Eddie Howe.

Prediction: Chelsea 1 – 2 Newcastle

• Predicted run-in points: 16/21

• Predicted total points: 75

Liverpool will look to add another three points to their tally this weekend when they host relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest in their Premier League clash at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp will be hopeful that his team can take some confidence from their huge 6-1 victory over Leeds United at Elland Road on Monday night, as they will need it if they are going to fight for their outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League in their remaining eight games.

The Reds are nine points adrift of Newcastle United in fourth and with just 24 points left for the taking, Liverpool are in no position to rest on their laurels and will need to put everything they can into their battle to climb the table.

It will be no easy task for Klopp to put together a winning formula for the final hurdles of the season as there has been no individual player that has really stood out as a consistent performer over the season so far apart from Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who has had to contend with some torrid defensive displays in front of him.

As a result, unleashing the players in the team that are explosive and passionate in their approach could be the key to snatching important from opponents and there is no player more chaotic in a Liverpool shirt than club-record signing Darwin Nunez.

Will Darwin Nunez start vs Nottingham Forest?

There is no doubt that Nunez has quite literally burst onto the scene since penning his £85m deal on Merseyside last June and despite some criticism for his missed opportunities in front of goal, has been a real breath of fresh air for the Reds.

The fiery £140k-per-week Uruguayan has scored 15 goals and registered four assists over 37 appearances in all competitions so far – with a goal contribution every 113 minutes, which is a pretty impressive output for a striker who has missed 18 big chances in the Premier League.

Nunez proved just how explosive he can be in the attacking threat when he made his nine-minute cameo against Leeds earlier this week with ten touches, an 89% pass completion rate (8/9) and one shot on target, which he comfortably converted to deliver the sixth and final goal in West Yorkshire.

Klopp has wasted no time in lavishing praise on his 23-year-old attacker and made his admiration for the player known after he scored against Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this season:

"I would say he is really getting there. Everybody can see he is just a handful, just a proper threat."

With that being said, it would make perfect sense for Klopp to unleash Nunez on the Garibaldi Reds this afternoon at Anfield as he could cause absolute chaos for their defenders throughout and deliver the important three points needed.

Leeds United confirmed the appointment of Sam Allardyce as their new manager until the end of the season today and the survival specialist will have to pull off something of a miracle if he is going to keep the Yorkshire outfit in the Premier League.

Why did Leeds hire Sam Allardyce?

The 4-1 defeat against Bournemouth last weekend was seemingly the final straw for Javi Gracia, who saw his side set a new Premier League record for the most goals conceded in a single month.

Their dreadful run of form has left them hovering dangerously over the relegation places with tough games to come against Manchester City, Newcastle United, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur.

However, the arrival of Allardyce could just spark some hope among the Leeds fanbase and if he can reconstruct a Leeds defence that has fallen apart in recent weeks, it could just keep them in the top flight.

One man who could be key to that rebuild is captain Liam Cooper, as the centre-back has performed well when called upon this season and has the leadership qualities that could win over Allardyce at Elland Road.

How good has Liam Cooper been this season?

The 31-year-old's 6.66 average rating from WhoScored sees him ranked behind only Pascal Struijk and Max Wober as defenders in Leeds' squad, and yet it is Robin Koch who has been the most consistently called upon centre-back this season.

That said, the skipper is still a key figure behind the scenes, with former manager Jesse Marsch having been full of praise for the Scotland international and his leadership skills during his time at Elland Road.

The American said: “Liam is going to play a big role in the team no matter what. Diego and Robin have done well. I told Liam before yesterday he hasn’t trained much but when he does return from injury, he plays flawlessly.“In terms of mentality, a professional, a leader, he is the best I’ve ever seen. He will be used, he will be needed."

Injuries have meant that the experienced defender has featured just 17 times in the top flight so far this campaign but he impressively ranks first for interceptions, third for clearances and second for blocks per game in Leeds' squad, underlying his willingness to defend and put his body on the line for the club.

No-nonsense centre-backs such as Winston Reid, James Collins and James Tomkins have all featured heavily under Allardyce in his career thus far and Cooper could be the next to prosper under the experienced English manager, becoming that combative force in the backline.

If the captain, who earns £25k-per-week at Elland Road, can rediscover his best form in the final few Premier League games, it could just inspire Allardyce's men to the masterstroke of keeping Leeds in the division.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have endured a difficult season in the Premier League this term and have needed three wins in their last five matches to move clear of the relegation scrap heading into the final month of the campaign.

Julen Lopetegui's side have the third-worst goalscoring record in the division, having found the back of the net 29 times in 34 outings, but are eight points clear of the bottom three.

The Spanish head coach may be hoping for more quality in the attacking areas, in particular, next season and one player who could help in that regard is left-back Ryan Giles.

How has Ryan Giles performed this season?

He is currently out on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship and has been in phenomenal form for Michael Carrick's side in a left wing-back role.

Bringing the 23-year-old into the first-team picture next season would allow Lopetegui to ruthlessly ditch 20-year-old left-back Hugo Bueno, who has created just 0.8 chances per game and provided one assist in 18 Premier League appearances this term.

The Spaniard has offered little in the way of creativity from that position but Giles' form in the second tier suggests that the Englishman has the potential to be a significant upgrade.

In the Championship this season, the Boro defender has racked up two key passes per game and created 23 'big chances' – assisting a remarkable haul of 11 goals – in 44 appearances.

During his time at Blackburn in 2021/22, then-Ewood Park boss Tony Mowbray heaped praise on the youngster, saying:

"He’s got a wonderfully cultured left foot, he’s a good footballer and he’s athletic, he’s just what we require."

The coach added: "Give him the ball and watch him dance inside like Riyad Mahrez. He can run past you on the outside and if you overcommit then he just chops it back onto his left foot and whacks it in the top corner.”

Giles produced ten assists in 32 Championship outings that season and these statistics, over the course of two campaigns, show that the youngster is an incredibly creative defender who can cause huge problems for opposition defences with his crossing and passing from the left-hand side.

The Boro star has consistently delivered excellent creativity, whereas Bueno has been unable to do so for Wolves in the Premier League, and his return next season could provide a much-needed attacking boost to Lopetegui's struggling attack.

Therefore, the end of Giles' loan with Middlesbrough could open the door for the manager to ditch the 20-year-old Spaniard in favour of the English chance creation machine, to see if he can translate his form over to the top-flight.

Manchester City imposed their dominance over Arsenal with a 4-1 win at the Etihad, taking the destiny of the Premier League title into their control. From start to finish, the hosts took charge of the game which was rewarded by their first goal coming in just the sixth minute of play.

The win took Pep Guardiola’s side within two points of current leaders Arsenal and with two games in hand on the Gunners, the title is City’s to lose as they sit in the driving seat. The Sky Blues are on their way to becoming champions for the fifth time in six seasons, cementing their dominance over the rest.

The current champions toyed with Arsenal, governing proceedings and ended the game with 2.54xG compared to the visitors 0.48xG and four goals to show for their performance.

Strikes from John Stones and Erling Haaland, plus a brace from man-of-the-match Kevin De Bruyne shattered Mikel Arteta’s squad’s hopes of bringing home the north Londoners first title since 2004, however the goalscorers weren’t the only stand-out performers for City on the night.

In the absence of Nathan Ake, there was a lot of speculation before the match as to who would line up on the left side of the back three. The Dutchman was a monumental influence in keeping Saka quiet when the teams met in the FA Cup, so his replacement naturally would have a huge task to pass.

How well did Manuel Akanji play against Arsenal?

When the likes of De Bruyne and Haaland stole the headlines, Akanji was integral to City’s dominance over Arsenal in defence in place of Ake on the left side.

The Swiss defender typically lines up in the centre of the back three, however after exercising his abilities on the right against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week, Guardiola placed his trust in the 27-year-old to maintain Bukayo Saka.

Saka, who has been one of the most in-form forwards this season, sitting at number one in the Premier League for dribbles (223) and 1vs1 index statistics that support claims of his danger on Arsenal’s right side.

During a difficult night for the Gunners at the Etihad, the £180k-per-week machine suppressed any threat the Hale End graduate could produce highlighted by his lack of touches in the game (35) and only recording two successful dribbles.

The lack of noise from Arteta’s wide players was attributable to City’s ability to marshal at the back. Akanji in particular, who won five out of eight of his ground duels, whilst maintaining a passing accuracy of 92%.

The £15m defender was positive on the ball, registering 65 touches in 90 minutes in a role that showcased the versatility of his game in a different position.

Guardiola was full of praise for the Swiss after the game, applauding his “intelligent” and “controlled” performance, as well as celebrating the adaptability the 27-year-old showed playing on the left: “Normally he is a central defender, he played right-back and now left-back.”

His performance was commanding when it mattered most, giving his manager something to think about when debating the reintroduction of Aymeric Laporte, who missed out solely down to Akanji’s efficiency.

ScorecardKyle Jarvis struck four times in his first spell•Getty Images

Kyle Jarvis continued his and Lancashire’s excellent start to the Specsavers County Championship season with four wickets before lunch and 6 for 70 in all on the opening day against Surrey at Old Trafford.Surrey, having elected to bat, slipped to 40 for 5 inside 18 overs during a weather-affected day and were later bowled out for 191 inside 62 overs.Jarvis claimed the prized scalp of Kumar Sangakkara, lbw for a duck, during an excellent 10-over opening spell on the way to his third career haul of six wickets or more. They were his best figures in a Lancashire shirt.Surrey opener Rory Burns batted superbly for 92 off 164 balls, but he was last man out to leave the hosts with 12 overs to face before close. They reached 16 without loss.Lancashire are aiming to win their first three home matches in a Championship campaign for the first time since 1952 having beaten Nottinghamshire and Hampshire here already. Victory could take them top of Division One ahead of next week’s Roses fixture at Headingley.Tom Bailey made the first breakthrough at the end of the fifth over when he had Arun Harinath caught behind.Jarvis then removed Sangakkara lbw and had Steven Davies caught behind for ducks in the eighth over before forcing Jason Roy to chip to mid-on for 2 in the 14th.And when Ben Foakes was bowled shouldering arms to one which nipped back in the 18th, Surrey were in all sorts of trouble.Lancashire’s new-ball pair were aided by swing and seam movement, but at least Burns and James Burke were able to stem the tide with a 64-run stand for the sixth wicket either side of lunch.Their partnership was interrupted by a near two-hour rain delay immediately after lunch, and Jarvis made the breakthrough in the 38th over when Burke edged to first slip for 31. Tom Curran followed caught behind as Surrey reached tea at 126 for 7.Burns reached his fourth fifty against Lancashire off 123 balls in the final over of the afternoon and shared 68 for the eighth wicket with Gareth Batty midway through the evening.He combated a hostile post-tea spell from Neil Wagner, who later removed of Batty and Mathew Pillans in the space of three balls in the 58th over to leave the score at 182 for 9.Batty was smartly caught at second slip by Tom Smith and Pillans bowled. Wagner wrapped up the innings when he trapped Burns lbw.Lancashire have included former captain Smith in their side after injury.Smith played in their opening T20 Blast match on Saturday, which was his first appearance since last April following a career-threatening back injury and more recent hamstring problems.He has come in for opener Karl Brown. He bowled nine overs for 27 and opened the batting with Haseeb Hameed. They will begin day two unbeaten on 7 and 5 respectively.

Arsenal have put up an almighty fight in their battle with Manchester City for the Premier League title. However, with the current form of Pep Guardiola's men, there seems no stopping them as the season reaches its conclusion.

That period in April where the Gunners oversaw three straight draws surrendered their chances of glory, as they lacked the cutting edge in decisive moments and were without the necessary options from the bench to truly push them over the line.

If they are to make that next step and truly topple the unflappable Cityzens, Mikel Arteta will know that this summer has to be a big one.

Arsenal transfer news – What's the latest on Moussa Diaby?

Sacrifices will have to be made in order to reach the required level, and as The Sun is suggesting, one of their starring players might have to make way in the coming window in order to capture one of Europe's brightest young talents.

With just one year remaining on his £120k-per-week deal, and links with a move for Declan Rice refusing to die down, perhaps Bayer Leverkusen's desire to sign Granit Xhaka could afford sporting director Edu Gaspar the chance to instead sign Moussa Diaby.

A longstanding interest in the French winger gives way to the German outfit's desire to acquire the 30-year-old, and all signs point towards this being a profitable swap deal for all those involved. Especially considering the £88.5m asking price they gave in January for the 23-year-old.

How has Moussa Diaby played this season?

Having quietly starred in the Bundesliga for many years now, it seems this season the speedster has converted his petrifying physical assets into tangible success.

With nine goals and nine assists in just 30 league matches, the left winger has terrorised almost every defence he has come up against with his pace and trickery. Such potency has led football writer Jack Grimse to dub him "electric", with journalist Julien Froment supplementing this claim by branding him a "danger".

For comparison, across all competitions he actually boasts the same number of goal contributions as Bukayo Saka; outperforming that of Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus too.

To add this kind of firepower to an already fluid and frightening front line would be devastating, but losing Xhaka would also be a blow, given his immense transformation over the last year.

The Swiss international has enjoyed a year of redemption, endearing himself to Arsenal supporters once more with mesmeric performances from the engine room. His 7.02 average rating is upheld through his five goals and seven assists, via Sofascore, although Rice would mark a more than capable alternative.

His average rating instead stands at 7.21, with just three goals and two assists, also per Sofascore.

Although losing their midfield general would be tough, for the progression of the team into a younger, more impressive model, perhaps this is a necessary sacrifice to make them truly capable of beating their Manchester rivals.

Aston Villa's ten-game unbeaten run in the Premier League came crashing to an end last weekend as they were beaten 1-0 by Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes' goal was enough to secure all three points for the home side on the day and Unai Emery's men now have an opportunity to return to winning ways this afternoon as they travel away to play Wolverhampton Wanderers.

They are up against Julen Lopetegui's team after a 6-0 drubbing against Brighton and should be wary of a strong reaction from their opponents.

Keeping this in mind and the result against the Red Devils last time out, Emery may look to make some changes to his XI to keep the competition for places strong and avoid complacency.

Will Jhon Duran start against Wolves?

The Spanish head coach should start young forward Jhon Duran as the boss could unlock an exciting partnership with Ollie Watkins at the top end of the pitch.

Jacob Ramsey and Emiliano Buendia lined up behind the England international last time out and both struggled – recording Sofascore ratings of 5.9 and 6.5 respectively.

The latter has one goal contribution in his last five starts and his lack of involvement in the final third indicates that it could be time to give another player the opportunity to prove their worth in that position behind the number nine.

This could open up the door for a change in the set-up behind Watkins and Emery must finally unlock the rarely-seen Duran, who is yet to start a match in the division, ahead of Buendia.

The Colombian international, who was once hailed as "powerful" and an "aerial threat" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has not had the chance to showcase his ability at Villa yet, due to being restricted to substitute appearances, but impressed in the MLS for Chicago Fire last year.

Duran scored eight times and provided three assists in 14 starts, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.91, in the division in 2022 and these statistics show that the potential is there for the forward to make a big impact in the final third.

The teenager, albeit in another country, has shown that he has the quality to score and assist goals in a professional environment in spite of his young age and the marksman could provide Watkins, who has scored 14 top-flight goals this term, with the support that Buendia has been unable to in recent weeks.

Now, imagine the £18m gem and the Englishman lining up against Wolves this afternoon and causing their troubled defence constant problems with their goalscoring threat.

تعادل منتخب تونس بهدف لهدف مساء اليوم السبت أمام المنتخب المالي في كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

منتخب تونس واجه مالي، في الجولة الثانية من عمر مباريات المجموعة الخامسة لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا المقامة في كوت ديفوار.

اقرأ أيضًا..محرز يتجاهل الانتقادات بعد تعادل الجزائر مع بوركينا فاسو: لا نستمع لما يُقال خلف الهواتف

تقدم منتخب مالي بهدف مبكر من التصويبة الأولى عن طريق لاسين سينايوكو في الدقيقة العاشرة من عمر اللقاء.

وجاء هدف التعادل للمنتخب التونسي عن طريق حمزة رفيعة في الدقيقة الـ20 من عمر الشوط الأول لينتهي اللقاء بتعادل الفريقين بهدف لهدف.

بتلك النتيجة يحصد منتخب تونس أول نقاطه في البطولة، بينما وصلت مالي للنقطة الرابعة حيث سبق وأن فازت على حساب منتخب جنوب إفريقيا.

وبات منتخب مالي في صدارة المجموعة الخامسة برصيد 5 نقاط، بينما زامبيا في الوصافة برصيد نقطة بالتساوي مع تونس ثم جنوب إفريقيا في المركز الأخير من دون نقاط.

منتخب تونس يتواجد في المجموعة الخامسة مع مالي وجنوب إفريقيا وناميبيا. أهداف مباراة تونس ومالي في كأس أمم إفريقيا

تشكيل تونس اليوم أمام مالي في كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023

حراسة المرمي: البشير بن سعيد.

خط الدفاع: وجدي كشريدة، علي العابدي، ياسين مرياح ومنتصر الطالبي.

خط الوسط: عيسي العيدوني، إلياس السخيري، أنيس بن سليمان وحمزة رفيع.

خط الهجوم: إلياس العاشوري ويوسف المساكني. تشكيل مالي أمام تونس في كأس امم إفريقيا 2023

حراسة المرمى: ديجوي ديارا.

خط الدفاع: هاماري تراوري، بوباكر كوياتي، سيكو نياكاتي، فالاي ساكو.

خط الوسط: ديديه ساماسيكو، لاسانا كوليبالي، أمادو هايدارا، كاموري دومبيا.

الهجوم: لاسيني سينايوكو، سيكو كويتا.

يمكنكم متابعة تفاصيل وأحداث المباراة مباشر بالفيديو لحظة بلحظة من هنا الشوط الأول

د1:  بداية المباراة.

د4: ضغط قوي من منتخب مالي. هدف مالي الأول

د8: جووووووووووووووووووووول هدف أول للمنتخب المالي في الدقيقة التاسعة من تصويبة من داخل منطقة الجزاء من اللاعب سيمايكو. هدف منتخب تونس

د20: جووووووووول هدف التعادل لمنتخب تونس عن طريق حمزة رفيعة مستغلا عرضية رائعة من عيسي العيدوني ليودعها في مرمى مالي في الدقيقة 20.

د26: عرضية رائعة من ركنية لدومبيا لكن تبعد بواسطة دفاعات تونس قبل وصولها لرأسية من هايدرا.

د43: عرضية رائعة من العيدوني وارتباك لدفاعات مالي ثم تغطية دفاعية من كوياتي.

د46: صاروخ من علي العابدي لكن أعلى العارضة.

نهاية الشوط الأول بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لهدف. الشوط الثاني

د46: بداية الشوط الثاني.

د49: اصابة بشير بن سعيد حارس تونس بسبب تدخل قوي مع مهاجم مالي.

د52: تصويبة من دومبيا تمر على يسار مرمى الحارس التونسي. تصويبة تونسية على مرمى مالي

د59: تصويبة صاروخية من كوليبالي أعلى عارضة الحارس التونسي.

د67: عرضية رائعة من العبدلي لكن تبعد من دفاعات مالي قبل وصولها لرفيعة. هل حرم الحكم تونس من ركلة جزاء امام مالي بكأس امم افريقيا؟

د75: عرضية خطيرة لمنتخب مالي لكن بشير حارس تونس ينقذ الموقف بقبضة اليد.

د79: كرة سهلة تهدر أمام المرمى من سانوكو.

د86: تصويبة من دياباتيه تصطدم بمنتصر الطالبي وتتحول لركنية مالية.

د91: عرضية من ديابتيه لكن بعيدة عن مهاجمي مالي.

نهاية المباراة بالتعادل بهدف لهدف بين تونس ومالي.

Chelsea forgotten man could return to Stamford Bridge and be a key asset next season under Mauricio Pochettino, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Romelu Lukaku and Mauricio Pochettino?

As per The Telegraph, Lukaku could be offered a shock chance to revive his career at Stamford Bridge by Pochettino and will be involved in discussions with Chelsea at the end of this term to determine his next steps.

The Belgium international joined Chelsea for £97.5 million back in 2021 from Inter Milan; however, he endured an indifferent spell in front of goal in west London that yielded just 15 goals in 44 appearances, as per Transfermarkt, before completing a loan switch back to Inter Milan at the beginning of this campaign.

Football Italia via Football London report that Inter Milan CEO Guiseppi Marotta has stated that Lukaku will indeed return to Chelsea when his loan agreement at the San Siro comes to an end, stating: "Lukaku is in love with this club and city, so these are important elements to consider, but the player does not belong to us. He is on loan, he will return to Chelsea on June 30 and we will all evaluate the situation together. It is important to note that he is a great professional, he has a great sense of belonging and these are key elements that go alongside the technical and sporting considerations."

Rumoured incoming boss Pochettino could now have a decision to make if he does assume the managerial vacancy at Chelsea. The Argentinian coach is said to be in 'advanced talks' over taking over at the Blues, as per BBC Sport.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones reckons that Lukaku could be the man to guarantee a regular flow of goals for Chelsea next campaign under Pochettino, similar to the service Harry Kane provided the former Paris Saint-Germain manager when both were at Tottenham Hotspur.

Jones told FFC: "The only outfield player used more than Kane was Christian Eriksen but the Tottenham No.9 was far and away the most productive goal scorer as he hit the net 169 times in Poch’s time at the club.

"He has had two failed attempts at being Chelsea’s main striker and if that third and final chance is ever to come, the time is now. If not there is only one solution: Bid for Kane!"

Could Romelo Lukaku get an unexpected second chance at Chelsea?

Realistically, suppose Chelsea can't find a suitable permanent destination for Lukaku elsewhere. In that case, it may just be worth giving him a chance to show if he can be the focal point in attack desperately needed at Stamford Bridge.

In 2022/23, the Belgian has made 28 appearances for Inter Milan in all competitions, scoring nine goals and claiming five assists, as per Transfermarkt.

FBRef also note that Lukaku has successfully carried out 59 shot-creating actions this term, demonstrating his ability to lead the line effectively and provide regular opportunities due to his hold-up play.

Conversely, Chelsea may have designs on entering the transfer market to secure a new forward. 90min claim that Pochettino could target Tottenham talisman Kane to counter the Blues' lack of a natural striker, in a move that could grab worldwide attention if a deal were to materialise.