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Cape Town - Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez expressed his disappointment after a goalless draw against rock-bottom Aston Villa dragged his side back into the relegation mire.
The Magpies went into the Villa Park encounter one point clear of the drop zone, but Sunderland traded places with their local rivals in the table after running out 3-2 victors over Chelsea.
Benitez's team had their chances to win the game, but Aleksandar Mitrovic and Jack Colback missed the best opportunities as the relegated Villains held on for a share of the spoils, which returned the Tynesiders to the bottom-three.
The Spaniard conceded they now have to rely on Everton beating the Black Cats on Wednesday to keep their survival hopes alive until the final day of the season, when the Toon take on Tottenham.
"We are disappointed. Sunderland won, so all we can do now is wait for the score of that game and now try to win our game," Benitez said after the match.
"We were a little bit anxious in the first half. We were not comfortable in possession. You have to take your chances and we didn't do that.
"We had to change things in the second half. We did that, but it was not enough. The players are disappointed. It was an opportunity to stay ahead of Sunderland and we couldn't do it."
