‘We deserve it’ – Kieran Trippier makes confident Newcastle United pledge amid top four ‘noise’

Newcastle sit fourth in the Premier League table after 13 games with just one defeat and the best defensive record in the division. And with just two games to go before the World Cup break, people are really starting to take notice of Eddie Howe’s side.

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola name-dropped Newcastle as potential Champions League or even league title challengers given the progress they’ve made under new ownership and management in 2022.

Trippier was the first player through the door at St James’s Park in the January transfer window. Despite a major injury set-back just five games into his Newcastle career, the England right-back has recovered to play a key role in the club’s transformation, captaining in the majority of matches so far this campaign.

Trippier’s team-mates Sven Botman and Joelinton admitted they weren’t surprised by the positive start Newcastle had made to the season – and the 32-year-old is no different.

“We’re performing well,” Trippier said. “We deserve to be where we are but we need to keep our feet on the ground. We’ve got the right squad for that, the right manager for that, to keep everybody in their place. The performances speak for themselves and we deserve to be where we are.

“Our mindset is to win, the games have been coming thick and fast and the gaffer says whatever the game ‘just empty the tank’, and that’s what we always try to do.

"We want to win every game and I think we’ve been performing well, but there’s so much more to improve. I don’t feel like we’ve been playing to our high standards that I know we can. But most importantly we’re getting the points."

Newcastle currently sit above the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United in the Premier League table and have already beaten Tottenham Hotspur so far this season.

And when asked if The Magpies have bridged the gap on the so-called ‘big six’, Trippier replied: “Of course there is going to be a lot of speculation on the outside and people will say [Newcastle] are going to get in the Champions League, but that’s everybody else’s opinion.”

While Trippier remained tight-lipped on Newcastle’s specific targets, he predicts the ‘noise’ surrounding his side and the Champions League places won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

"We know our goals inside, I don’t want to tell you them,” he smiled. “All I can say is there is going to be a lot of noise from the outside about Newcastle and the top four. We just need to keep it in house, what we want to do and our objectives and that’s just to win every game.

“When people are saying we’re going to win the league and [qualify for the] Champions League, it’s a long season and we’re only just over a quarter of the way through.

"The gaffer makes our work, he says in every meeting and we know what we can achieve if we stick together. We’ve got all of our missions internally.

“We just need to keep performing, keep attacking every game. We know about a big game next week against Southampton and we go there to win.”