Brentford 2-4 Newcastle United - VAR steals the show in a lively encounter which sees the Mags finish seventh

Newcastle United did what they needed to do to keep their European dream alive as Chelsea stole the last guaranteed European spot after a tremendous finish to the season.

Chelsea came out of nowhere in the last few weeks of the season to overtake Manchester United and Newcastle to take sixth place in the Premier League. Newcastle did enough on the final day to stay ahead of Manchester United to finish higher than the Red Devils for the first time ever in the Premier League. However, Erik ten Hag's men could still rain on our parade if they were to beat their local rivals (and once-again Premier League champions) Manchester City in the FA Cup final next week.

The G-Tech Community Stadium played host to a thoroughly entertaining game of football as Newcastle came away 4-2 winners. Despite there being six goals on the final scoreline, it could, and indeed should have been more.

Brentford got off to a flying start, taking the lead within three minutes only for VAR to intervene and chalk it off for offside. That should have been a wake-up call for Newcastle but the Magpies, as has been tradition lately, stumbled through the opening minutes and when Joelinton fired wide when it was harder to miss, alarm bells started ringing.

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Harvey Barnes nodded Newcastle into the lead and woke the beast

Fortunately, Newcastle did go ahead on 21 minutes when Harvey Barnes nodded home a sublime Bruno Guimaraes cross and that's what seemed to wake our lads up and from then on for the rest of the half, it was all Newcastle.

Newcastle went on to nab two goals in the space of a minute with Jacob Murphy bagging his third Premier League goal of the season and Alexander Isak hitting one home shortly after the restart for his 21st league goal of the season.

There was also still time for Sean Longstaff to see an effort ruled out for offside too as Newcastle went in at half time three goals to the good.

Newcastle were punished for being slow out of the blocks

Brentford weren't taking it lying down, though, as the Bees came out buzzing in the second half with Newcastle on cruise control again.

Vitaly Janelt pulled one back for the hosts on 48 minutes and looked good value for another. They had to wait, but Yoane Wissa popped up with an absolutely stunning curling effort to heighten the tension.

Just as Wissa's goal went in, news came through that Manchester United had taken the lead at Brighton meaning that we had to hold on to pick up three points to stay above them.

It all looked good when Newcastle were awarded a penalty on 75 minutes after Lewis Hall, who by the way, was sensational today, was fouled in the box.

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VAR - they just had to get one more in before the season ended

Enter VAR to offer up one last laughable decision of the season as they ruled the foul as a free kick because part of Hall's trailing leg, which was well off the floor, was outside of the box. His standing leg was firmly planted inside the area, but VAR just wanted to play silly buggers one last time.

Justice was served, though, as Isak struck the free-kick with venom with Mark Flekken only able to parry it back into the path of the on-rushing Bruno Guimaraes to slotted home to make it 4-2.

That's 102 Premier League goals scored this season. Imagine that strike rate with last season's defence. We are so close to being amazing.

The lads now jet off to Australia for that weird post-season friendly before the season ends properly next weekend. A few weeks rest then back at it to put all the pain of this season behind us and move on to become the team we know we can be.

Hopefully, City will do us a favour in the FA Cup and tonk Man United all over and we will get to bring out the passports again next season.