Kieran Trippier says he has twice the motivation to help Newcastle United get a result on Monday night, due to his Tottenham Hotspur past.
Arsenal face a must-win game away to Newcastle United on Monday night, as they look to overtake Tottenham Hotspur and return to the top four.
Though a draw (or even a defeat) wouldn’t mathematically end Arsenal’s chances of top four, it would take things out of their hands and leave them needing Spurs to slip up against relegated Norwich City.
Realistically, Arsenal’s only way back into the Champions League is to win their final two games this week. That starts with an away trip to Newcastle United.
Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier is hoping to be fit for the game, following a recent injury, and he wants to put in a big performance for the fans and for his former Spurs teammates.
“It’s a massive occasion, the last home game of the season,” Trippier added. “The fans have been unbelievable since I arrived.
“Arsenal are fighting to get in the top four, I want to help Tottenham obviously.”
Newcastle are 14th in the Premier League and have a dreadful record against Arsenal, but that’s not representative of the current situation.
Over the last few months, Newcastle have been among the top teams in the league, which is how they’ve been able to escape the threat of relegation (a very real threat earlier in the campaign) with games to spare.
If Newcastle ever had a shot at getting a result against the Gunners, this is that time. Given Arsenal can’t afford anything but all three points, it’s going to be a tense night.