Eddie Howe issues bold Newcastle United statement

Yet Eddie Howe won't be entirely content, even if the third-placed club can stay in the top four.

Newcastle, relegation contenders last season, are two points ahead of fourth-placed Manchester United, beaten by Brighton and Hove Albion last night, ahead of Sunday's home game against second-placed Arsenal.

And Howe was asked if the club's future ambition was to overtake Mikel Arteta's side.

“The aim is to try and catch and overtake everybody," said United's head coach. "It's easier said than done.

"We have to have that mindset wherever and whatever we achieve, we're not happy and content with that, and we want more. It's the only way for the players to think, otherwise, as soon as you reach what you feel your summit is, the only way is down.”

Newcastle were 19th in the Premier League and winless when Howe took charge in November 2021 following a £305million takeover and the departure of Steve Bruce.

And Howe – who guided the club to an 11th-placed finish – was asked if he had envisaged a challenge for Champions League football last summer.

“No, I didn’t think that way," said Howe. "It was an incredibly busy summer to try and get the best players we could in the squad.

"I felt we did that to our capabilities, and then pre-season was an amazing thing . We had a brilliant pre-season, we really enjoyed it. Looking back, that's probably laid the foundation of our success this year.”

United last finished third in the 2002/03 season when Sir Bobby Robson was in charge.

Asked if he felt that the club was again part of the “elite”, Howe said: “I don’t know if I can ever answer that truly, because I always think it’s there for us to prove.

“People will label teams, try and bracket them and put them in certain groups.

“For me, it doesn’t mean anything. Every season you have to fight for where you end up, and if we can be consistently in the top positions in the league, then, maybe, you guys might bracket us as something.

“I’m not going to do that in this moment in time.”