Newcastle make the trip to North London to take on Arsenal on Saturday evening
Sky Sports presenter Gary Neville
Sky Sports presenter Gary Neville(Image: David Davies/PA Wire)
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Newcastle United's season may be hurtling towards mediocrity but they can still have a huge say in the Premier League title race this weekend.
The Magpies were dreadful again on Saturday as they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth at St James' Park to all but end any hopes of qualifying for European football.
With five games to go, United are in 14th place and six points adrift of the European places. Given they are 11 points clear of 18th placed Tottenham, relegation fears aren't a genuine concern either so they need to find some sort of motivation in the final weeks of the season.
Scrutiny over Eddie Howe's position is growing so the players should be motivated to play for his future. But they could also have a huge say in stopping Arsenal winning the title.
The Gunners were beaten 2-1 by title rivals Man City on Sunday as Pep Guardiola's side moved to within three points of them at the top of the table with a game in hand.
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The Cityzens could take the initiative in the title race with a win over Burnley on Wednesday evening and that will ramp up the pressure on Arsenal ahead of hosting Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening.
And Sky Sports pundit and Manchester United legend, Neville, insists it is a must-win game for Arteta's side.
"I am absolutely certain Mikel Arteta will be saying to those players in there: 'I am proud of you. If you perform to that standard in the next seven games, you will be in the European Cup final and you have got a great chance of winning the league,'" Neville said on the Gary Neville podcast.
"If Manchester City drop one point they are in. So I am sure he will be reiterating the message of 'that's the level I need you to be at. What Mikel Arteta needs to do in the next couple of weeks is to pick that team and to have that intent now in every game they play in.
"Next Saturday night, the game Arsenal against Newcastle. I am doing it for Sky, it is a huge game because that is the game they cannot afford to drop anything.
"They have to win next Saturday night. I am not saying they have to go and win two or three nil but that will help with the goal difference and they have to think about that, but they just have to come off that field with three points. That will then set them up nicely.
"They still can look forward to this run-in. Play like that and that standard in every game between now and the end of the season and we can win a trophy. I think he will be saying that."
Neville then took that pressure up a further notch by suggesting they would not 'deserve the title' if they fail to take six points from their next two home matches against the Magpies and Fulham.
"It couldn't be better," Neville replied when asked about Arsenal's last five games of the season.
"West Ham away will be tough because of where they are right now but if you could pick five fixtures, you might change one, but honestly you could not pick a better five games than that.
"You would snap your hand off all day if you were offered those five games as your last five games of the season going for a title. So they have got no complaints, no excuses or the idea they would be playing Manchester United away or Liverpool at Anfield.
"They have got none of that. Yeah, they have a team in the relegation scrap in West Ham who can be awkward and you can see how that would be tricky. But go and beat Newcastle and Fulham. Those are the key games now to go and get six points on the board and reset things.
"They are obviously going to have two semi-finals (against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League) interspersed between those games. That's the tricky one but if they drop points against Newcastle or Fulham you are done.
"You don't deserve the title. Let's be clear. That's not being disrespectful to Newcastle or Fulham but you don't deserve a title if you drop points in those games."