Jamie Carragher has changed his mind and backed Newcastle United to finish in fifth.

Carragher did not think that Newcastle would better last season's seventh-placed finish at the start of the campaign and the Liverpool legend even tipped West Ham to be a European contender ahead of Eddie Howe's side. Carragher doubled down with his revised picks last month and predicted that Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Aston Villa would make up the top six come May.

However, at the halfway point of the campaign, Newcastle currently lie in fifth place - just three points off Chelsea - after the Magpies won four league games on the bounce for the first time since they qualified for the Champions League a couple of seasons ago. That has swayed Carragher's thinking.

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"I just fancy Newcastle," Carragher told Sky Sports. "They don't have the European situation. They could go a little bit further in the Carabao Cup.

"I just look at Villa - they can't quite get going. They will win a game and, then, lose. It feels like it's happened a lot this season where they have been in front at home and been pegged back and drawn games that they should have won.

"It just looks to me like Newcastle are just getting into a real run of form and when I look at that midfield and look at [Alexander] Isak up front, it's looking pretty special."

Fifth might yet be enough to qualify for the Champions League as two extra places will again be awarded to the countries who have the most collective success in Europe this season. England currently top the coefficient table, but Newcastle will just want to finish as high as possible in the league.