RAFAEL BENITEZ hopes Everton do Newcastle United a massive favour tonight after accepting the absence of fight last weekend has put them on the brink of Championship football.

If Sunderland fail to beat the Toffees then the Magpies will head into the final day of the campaign still in with a chance of staying up.

The Black Cats only need two points from the final couple of matches to guarantee top-flight survival and condemn Newcastle to the second tier for the second time in seven years.

After being heartened by Newcastle’s performances in the build-up to the trip to Aston Villa last Saturday, Benitez was left frustrated by a lack of quality and desire in such a crucial game.

“I had confidence in the potential of the club and the players when I took over,” said Benitez. “We have been fighting right up until the game at Aston Villa, and maybe things could have been different. I still think we have a chance (of staying up), so I will continue with that idea in my head.”

Benitez started the season in charge at Real Madrid and most observers expect he will walk away from St James’ at the end of the season if relegation falls.

But he has loved the way the supporters have got behind him and he has not ruled out staying on - even if they drop out of the Premier League - and would weigh up his options after Sunday's game.

Newcastle, who handed him a three-year deal with a get out clause at the end of the season, are interested in keeping him after impressing everyone with his approach.

Benitez said: “If you are a professional, then you take what is thrown at you. I was in Naples after winning the Super Cup, then I went to Madrid and we did what we had to do, staying high in the table, but then they changed things.

“I accepted this challenge because, for me, it was an opportunity to come back to the Premier League and try to show to everyone that we could do well.”

Newcastle are unbeaten in five under Benitez ahead of Tottenham’s visit to Tyneside and he is banking on a result on Wearside tonight to make the final afternoon of the season interesting.

His focus has been on keeping Newcastle up and he has not made any plans at all for next season. The only glimmer of future thinking was by agreeing with the boardroom to allow Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux to leave.

There is also a contract in place for Paul Dummett, although that was agreed before Benitez’s arrival, and he has not discussed summer transfer plans with the boardroom yet. He is aware of and has been impressed by proposed changes to the club's training and academy facilities.

Clearly, the chances of him staying on would increase if Newcastle stayed up and Everton boss Roberto Martinez has reassured his compatriot that his side will not roll over at the Stadium of Light.

Everton have nothing riding on the fixture but the pressure has grown on Martinez since his side lost the FA Cup semi-final Manchester United.

Martinez, whose side didn’t perform at the Leicester title party on Sunday, said: “This is a huge, huge game, and there is so much to play for.

“The Premier League has always been strongest of any league in Europe, and it has always had integrity.

“From our point of view it is about reacting to our performance against Leicester - nothing more. We had a lack of intensity at Leicester and that cost us, we were trying to get something out of the game, but if you don't match the intensity of your opponent it's always difficulty.”