Newcastle have already made a mockery of Gary Neville…

Newcastle have already made a mockery of Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher's Liverpool warning

Never have so many Geordies rooted for Aston Villa. Keeping an eye on Liverpool's 1-1 against Villa certainly makes a change to seeing how Burnley, Norwich City and Watford got on.

However, just as Eddie Howe did not get caught up in results elsewhere during last season's relegation battle, the same has been true of the race for the top four a year on. Measured Newcastle United have simply focused on the task at hand, the next game, throughout this remarkable campaign and it is a mentality that has served them well.

Yes, Dan Burn was well-aware that 'people thought we would tail off towards the end of the season and fall away', but obsessing over how Liverpool got on? That was a different matter entirely.

"I don't think we can," the defender told ChronicleLive. "It's different when you're at the bottom of the table and you really do feel that you're being hunted because you know the teams below you can get points, but this is untrodden ground for the majority of the lads here and we're just enjoying that. The gaffer said it best when he said this pressure is a privilege."

That pressure, if you can even call it that, has been something to relish rather than feel burdened by and Newcastle know exactly what they have to do against Leicester City on Monday night. A single point will see Newcastle qualify for the Champions League and return to Europe's top table for the first time in 20 years.

However, such is the mentality of the group, they won't be thinking about drawing versus the relegation-threatened Foxes or, worse still, relying on goal difference come the end of the season for that matter. Newcastle will just be desperate to win both of their final fixtures against Leicester and Chelsea to finish in third place and record their best Premier League placing since 2003 when Sir Bobby Robson was in charge

It is amazing what a difference seven days makes. A week ago, Newcastle came from behind to lead against Leeds United only to concede a late equaliser in the 79th minute at Elland Road. Yet, internally, there was no over-reaction to that 2-2 draw - it ultimately proved a valuable point - and there was no sense of panic behind the scenes when Liverpool closed the gap to just a point following a 3-0 win at Leicester City on Monday night, either.

However, Gary Neville, who predicted Liverpool would defeat Aston Villa, suggested Jurgen Klopp's 'little fist pump at the end' at the King Power Stadium was a 'message' to Newcastle players that he's 'coming for you', predicting the 'wobbling' Magpies were most likely to slip out of the top four. Sky Sports colleague Jamie Carragher concurred. "If you are Newcastle, the supporters, players, staff will be watching that thinking, 'Oh,'" he said.

Players and staff weren't, at least. Ahead of the visit of Brighton on Thursday night, Howe was asked by this correspondent if Newcastle had to relish being up there with these sorts of teams rather than feeling like they were being hunted.

"I don't feel like we're being hunted," the defiant Newcastle boss said. "I don't feel that emotion. It's us against ourselves, really. That's how I see it. It's us trying to be the best we can be. I've not focused on any other team all season.

"In my experience, I knew Liverpool were never far away because they are a top team and they are capable of going on runs of wins. They are very similar to Manchester City where they can win a group of games without blinking. They have got that experience. For us, we can't look at Liverpool or compare ourselves to Liverpool. We just have to look at us."

Newcastle did that, all right, thumping high-flying Brighton 4-1 just a day later at a rocking St James' Park. Do not bet against this relentless side doing the same to Leicester on Monday night.

Newcastle have already made a mockery of Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher's Liverpool warning

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