Arsenal’s test of their credentials will be severely examined when they travel to face Newcastle.
The Magpies could al but seal a Champions League place with a win over the Gunners.
At the same time it would end Mikel Arteta’s side chances of winning the league. As slim as they are with Manchester City flying.
Newcastle are attempting to return to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.
They are third in the standings with 65 points, two ahead of fourth-placed Manchester United and six in front of Liverpool, who are fifth having played one more game.
The Magpies must still face Brighton & Hove Albion and relegation-battling Leeds United and Leicester City plus Chelsea and second-placed Arsenal in their remaining fixtures.
“All season we haven’t focused on where we are, who’s around us, the form of teams – we’ve just focused on ourselves and that’s all we can do,” Howe told reporters ahead the Arsenal match.
“We have a tough run of fixtures but I think at the same time a great run of fixtures because every game is important. They’re great occasions and we look to carry on our good form.
“We’re competing against elite teams who will fight to the end and we have to do the same. In our five games we need to give our best preparation and focus because the fight we’re in could go right to the end of the season.”
Newcastle last faced Arsenal in a fiery 0-0 draw in January, after which the Londoners were fined 40 000 pounds for failing to control their players and their manager Mikel Arteta attracted criticism for an angry exchange with Howe.
Howe said the clash was a closed chapter, adding that he had a lot of respect for the “incredible job” Arteta had done at Arsenal.
Arsenal are winless in their last three Premier League away games (D2 L1), as many times as they’d failed to win in their first 14 on the road this season (D1 L2). They’ve conceded eight goals across these three games, just one fewer than they had in those previous 14 (9).
There have been at least four goals scored in each of Arsenal’s last seven Premier League games; only three teams have had longer such runs in the competition’s history – Liverpool (9 between Sep-Dec 2021), Manchester City (8 between May-Sep 2019) and Manchester United (8 between Mar-May 2000).