Saturday night sees Newcastle travel to the Emirates Stadium and a potentially difficult game against an in-form Arsenal side.
The Gunners can keep pace with the leaders if they can earn another three points, whilst Eddie Howe will be looking to turnaround the Magpies fortunes with a win.
European qualification has to be the aim for Newcastle now, though with only 12 games to go after Saturday night’s encounter and a current 10-point gap between them and Tottenham in fifth, it’ll be a big ask if Eddie Howe’s side head back north empty handed.
According to the Shields Gazette, two of their players are walking a disciplinary tightrope ahead of the match too.
Newcastle could lose Guimaraes and Gordon
Combative and creative midfielder, Bruno Guimaraes is just one yellow card away from getting a two-game ban given that he’s already picked up nine bookings this season.
Team-mate Anthony Gordon will also pick up a two-game ban if he picks up two more bookings.
Given that no quarter is likely to be asked or given by either side, the match could become quite physical at times and, therefore, it’s going to be quite difficult for the pair to stay out of the referees book.
At this stage of the season, any ban on top of Newcastle’s injury list could mean more problems for Howe.