"Nothing is done" ahead of run-in, says Howe

The Magpies face Mikel Arteta’s side at St. James’ Park, targeting a fifth consecutive Premier League victory on home soil as they aim to consolidate third place in the English top-flight table.

After netting an eye-catching 22 goals in seven matches during April, the high-flying Magpies head into the clash against the Gunners, currently 13 points above Newcastle in second place, full of confidence as they near the final stages of a progressive season.

Here are a selection of the main talking points from Howe's pre-match media briefing at United’s training centre in Benton on Friday morning:

On the fitness status of midfield pair Sean Longstaff and Allan Saint-Maximin...

“Sean is okay and has improved. He hasn’t trained yet so we’re hoping that is either today or tomorrow but we’ll wait and see.

“Allan has trained. He trained yesterday. It was great to see him back out on the grass and trained very well, too, so we’re very pleased with that. We’ll make a decision on whether we’ll involve him (against Arsenal).

"It’s such a shame because the two moments where you felt Maxi was entering his best form, he ends up getting injured just after that.

"I look back to the Wolves game where he scored that spectacular goal and then we lost him for a period of time and then the West Ham game where he was contributing with assists, impacting the games and then we lost him again so that rhythm has been disruptive.”

On the possibility of pairing Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak together for the Gunners...

“It’s not the first time the temptation has been there to play them together. When you’re analysing the next game, you have to analyse the opponents, yourselves and pick the best team to try and win the game. That won’t be any different this weekend.

“I’ve talked about lots of different scenarios but, ultimately, my end decision has to be what does the team need rather than what Callum or Alex need. It’s up to me to make the right call.”

On Paul Dummett, who last featured in a competitive fixture for the Magpies in August - a 2-1 win against Tranmere Rovers in the Carabao Cup...

“Paul’s been really good. Fitness wise, it’s the best I’ve seen him. He’s had a really consistent run of training and hasn’t missed a day in a while and I think any player benefits from that consistency.

"He’s a very good player and I think the beauty of him is that he can play in a couple of positions for us, in left-back or centre-half. It’s great to have a player who has got that experience and ability.

"Yes, he hasn’t had that opportunity yet to get a run in the team because of the consistency of the other players but it’s someone we value very highly as a player, person and professional."

On the run-in, with Newcastle targeting a top four finish for the first time since the 2002/03 campaign under Sir Bobby Robson’s management...

“Nothing is done and I didn’t expect it to be done. We’re competing against elite teams who will fight to the end and we have to do the same.

“Our five games, we need to give our best preparation and focus to because the fight we’re in could go right down to the end of the season.”

On the recent fixtures at St. James’ Park, which has seen the Magpies record important home wins against the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur...

“They’re big challenges. Your preparation to the game is key so the training you deliver and the tactical plan you’ve got to try and get it right. You then ask the players to execute that to the best of their ability so there’s a lot of decisions to be made.

“They are great games, the ones we’ve had recently because we’ve had positive results and performances so that’s what we’re looking for again.

“My mind flicks to those games and it’s always about the crowd, emotion, noise and feeling that they created for us so it’s same again please and can we create that intimidating environment for our opponent and elevate our own players.”

On the reverse fixture against Arsenal, which saw Howe’s side record a 2-0 win against the Gunners 12 months ago...

“I think it’s a different game. We’ve come a long way in that period of time and Arsenal have so you’ll see two teams that have improved since that point.

“In terms of overall performance, I thought it was our best performance to that point. I thought we were really strong in our off the ball performance and very good, also, on the ball and we were creative against a very good team.

“Since then, we’ve eclipsed that this season, in terms of how we’ve played in certain games, but probably looking at this game knowing we’re going to have to replicate our best performance to win again."

On Wor Flags’ work, who are encouraging fans to get behind the #BringYouScarf campaign ahead of this weekend’s encounter...

“I think they’ve been incredible. We invited them in, enjoyed a morning with them, spending time with them and getting to know their stories a bit better and why they do what they do.

“They've had huge impacts. The first thing I do when I step out of St. James’ Park is look to my right, look around the stadium and see what there is to enjoy. Usually, it’s inspiring and not just for me but for the players and they’re the most important people.

“When they are paid tribute to in a certain way, I can only think that gives them a huge lift going into that game."