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Brentford 2-4 Newcastle United: Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy, Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes scored to end the 2023-24 season with a win.

Newcastle United capped off the 2023-24 Premier League season with a 4-2 win at Brentford on Sunday.

Harvey Barnes headed Newcastle in front before Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak scored quickly to make it 3-0 to the visitors at half-time. Vitaly Janelt and Yoane Wissa pulled two goals back for Brentford in the second half before Bruno Guimaraes capped off the scoring to secure a seventh-place finish for The Magpies.

Here are five talking points from the match...

Anthony Gordon misses out as Nick Pope returnsEddie Howe made four changes from the side that were beaten 3-2 at Manchester United with Anthony Gordon missing his first game of the 2023-24 season due to injury. The winger suffered a calf issue after Sofyan Amrabat's challenge at Old Trafford and has subsequently been ruled out of the trip to Australia to face Tottenham Hotspur and A-League All Stars this week.

"He won't be going to Australia," Howe told The Gazette. "He had a scan very soon after the Manchester game.

"We don't think it's a serious injury but it's enough to keep him out of today and Australia." Harvey Barnes came into the side in place of Gordon and opened the scoring as he headed in from Bruno Guimaraes' cross. It was Barnes' fifth goal of the season and his first after starting a game.

Elsewhere in the side, Joelinton returned for his first start since January in place of Elliot Anderson and Fabian Schar came back into the side with Kieran Trippier dropping to the bench. In goal, Nick Pope made his first appearance since early December as Martin Dubravka dropped to the bench - the Slovakian was subsequently left out of the squad for the trip to Australia.

But Pope's return to the starting line-up proved crucial as he twice denied Ivan Toney in each half to keep Brentford at bay.

VAR has its say for Newcastle UnitedAfter VAR controversially didn't get involved in a key Newcastle decision at Old Trafford, The Magpies had it to thank at Brentford after Toney found the net in the opening minutes of the game.

The flag stayed down before a VAR check confirmed Bryan Mbeumo was offside in the build-up to the goal, ruling the goal out. It's not the first time a VAR decision between Newcastle and Brentford has changed the course of the match. The Bees were previously victims of an early VAR red card and an early strike ruled out in past meetings with The Magpies.

"Difficult start with the VAR moment because that rocked us naturally and it got the home crowd in the game," Howe admitted. "It was a long way offside, I don't know why it wasn't given [on field]."

Newcastle had a goal ruled out themselves in the first half as Sean Longstaff thought he'd doubled the lead only for Isak to be deemed marginally offside by a VAR check.

At 3-2, referee Simon Hooper awarded Newcastle a penalty after Lewis Hall went down under Mbeumo's challenge on the edge of the area only for VAR to overturn the decision and award Newcastle a free-kick. It ultimately didn't make too much difference as Isak's free-kick was parried into the path of Guimaraes to make it 4-2 and wrap up the points.

Bruno Guimaraes magic for NewcastleA goal and two assists for Guimaraes took his tally to 15 Premier League goal involvements for the season, behind only Anthony Gordon (21) and Alexander Isak (23) at Newcastle. The Brazilian pulled the strings and dragged The Magpies to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League with an ultimately convincing win despite a slightly nervous second-half showing.

His goal to make it 4-2 calmed any nerves for the closing stages followed by an already iconic hat-wearing celebration. It was Newcastle's 102 goal of the campaign and a club-record 85th in the Premier League over the course of the campaign.

Guimaraes' value to Newcastle is far beyond the PS100million his release clause demands. He's a player adored by players and fans alike and gets the club in a way few other foreign imports have.

He has the perfect blend of sheer quality and personality with just the right amount of Geordie daftness that makes him impossible not to warm to.

With that clause coming into effect for next month, his prolonged wave goodbye at full-time may have got some alarm bells ringing. But it's a situation beyond the club or the player's control should another side table the PS100million required - which would be a surprise.

Newcastle plan on keeping hold of the Brazilian, who is already looking ahead to the possibility of playing in Europe for the club once again next season.

Is seventh place a success for Newcastle United? A seventh-place finish represents the first time Newcastle have finished in the top 10 in the Premier League in successive seasons since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 campaigns.

Given the numerous injuries, European football and domestic quarter-final cup runs, finishing in a position that would be enough for European qualification in most seasons represents a positive campaign on the whole for Howe and his players when, at one stage, it looked like petering out completely.

The run after the March international break saw Newcastle win six of their last 10 matches, losing just twice to ultimately turn their season around for the better.

It's taken 32 years of Premier League football but Newcastle have now officially finished above every single side they've faced in the Premier League after pipping Manchester United to a top-seven spot.

It's the first time Newcastle have finished above The Red Devils in the football pyramid since 1977. Yet Erik ten Hag's side could still have the last laugh next weekend.

Newcastle United's fate to be decided by the FA Cup final - Manchester United v Manchester CitySeventh place is often enough to secure European football in the Premier League. At one stage this season, it looked as though it may even secure Europa League football had England been awarded five Champions League places.

But now it's a Manchester City win in the FA Cup final this weekend or no European football for Newcastle next season. A seventh-place finish in the Premier League has been enough to warrant European qualification for the Europa League or Conference League in eight of the last nine Premier League seasons, the one exception being Arsenal winning the FA Cup and finishing eighth in the Premier League in 2020.

Newcastle will be hoping Manchester United don't do the same thing this Saturday. Their season may be over, but their fate is still to be decided.