Sawt Falasteen - Howe warns Newcastle to keep focus as they close on Champions League spot

A win at the Emirates would take the Magpies above Mikel Arteta's Gunners with just one game to play and within touching distance of a top-five finish.

Only champions Liverpool are so far guaranteed one of the five places on offer to Premier League teams in Europe's top club competition next season.

Newcastle have been buoyant since winning the League Cup final against Liverpool in mid-March, losing just once in eight league games since.

Arsenal have been Liverpool's closest challengers for most of the campaign and a few weeks ago appeared to have second place locked down but they have stumbled.

Howe cautioned his side against complacency on Friday, with just four points separating his third-placed team from Nottingham Forest, in seventh spot.

"It's not done and the picture can change game to game and I think that's what we've got to be really focused on, just our next game and trying to win it, which we will do and we have done this week," he said.

"The preparation has been good, the focus has been there from the players.

"The outside noise will always be swayed by how you've done and it's positive but nothing is achieved until it's achieved so we have to be really single-minded in that and not get distracted."

Newcastle have beaten Arsenal three times this season -- once in the Premier League and in both legs of the League Cup semi-finals -- but Howe said they had been tough opponents.

"It bodes well for us, but these games we've played against Arsenal this year have been very difficult," he said.

"We've come out on the right side of them but the games have been tight and so we go in to Sunday with confidence but with a realisation that we need to be at our best as we have been against them this season."

Newcastle's last game, on May 25, is at home to Everton.

M.AlAhmad--SF-PST