Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has refused to put the death knell on the Magpies’ Premier League survival hopes - despite a day of near disaster at the bottom of the table.
United dropped two points to slip back into the bottom three after Sunderland’s shock win over Chelsea at the Stadium of Light .
But Benitez was left to cling on to the glimmer of hope on offer should Everton beat the Black Cats in midweek.
If they were, it would set up a final day shoot-out for United, Sunderland and possibly Norwich, but the situation is well and truly in the hands of Sam Allardyce’s team now.
Benitez said: “It can still be done, although obviously it depends on them (Sunderland) more than us now.
“Still though, if they cannot win the next game, then we have to fight in our last game, try to get three points, and see what happens.
“Everybody is very disappointed, but that is normal. The only thing you can say to them is to try to be ready and do everything they can in terms of training and recovery to be ready for the week.
“We still have to play one more game, and we want to get three points.”
When asked if he would put himself through the pain of watching the clash on Wearside, Benitez replied: “Maybe we will watch the game, but what we do doesn’t change too much.
“The main thing is that if they don’t get the result, then afterwards we have to be ready.”
The atmosphere changed at Villa Park as two second half goals clinched a much-needed win for Sunderland.
Benitez admitted: “We knew what was happening (in the Sunderland game) in the second half.
“But to be fair, we were much better in the second half anyway and had the chances with Mitrovic and Colback.
“It was a pity one of those didn’t go in, but we couldn’t change too much because they played with five at the back and we had to be really precise when we passed and crossed the ball.
“We tried to do what we had to do – we changed some players and put some offensive players on the pitch – but it was not enough.
“I don’t think it is fair to say what might have happened if I had come at a different time.
“We just have to be ready for the weekend, that is it.”