Dan Burn has vowed that Newcastle United will go 'toe-to-toe' with Manchester United at Old Trafford at the weekend because the Magpies 'don't fear anyone' anymore.
It is a battle between fifth and sixth on Sunday as Newcastle face Erik ten Hag's side in Manchester. Newcastle have only won once at the so-called Theatre of Dreams since 1972, but Eddie Howe's side travel to the North West full of confidence after already putting Fulham and Brentford to the sword this month.
It won't be an easy game, of course, but Brighton and Real Sociedad have already shown this season that Manchester United can be got at in their own backyard. Also, unlike the hosts, who face Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League on Thursday night, Newcastle will have had the benefit of a clear week to prepare for this match.
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Regardless of the result, for the first time in a long while, Newcastle supporters travel to Old Trafford with real hope and the visitors won't exactly be sitting back as they have in the recent past in this fixture if Burn's comments are anything to go by.
"Going to Old Trafford, it's one of those grounds you love to play at," the Newcastle defender told talkSPORT. "This season, we don't fear anyone. We went toe-to-toe with the best teams in [Man] City and Liverpool and it will be the same with United on Sunday."
That mentality has seen Newcastle lose just one game this season, in the dying moments at Anfield, and the Magpies are currently flying high in sixth place after nine games. However, no one at the club is getting carried away. Although Newcastle are only two points off a Champions League place, equally, Howe's side are also just four points clear of 13th.
Howe's target at the start of the campaign was to simply improve - Newcastle were down on a number of key statistics last season - and to be stronger and more competitive in games. The Newcastle boss has not publicly mentioned a league position to aim for, but Burn hinted that a top-half finish was the minimum aim as Callum Wilson, Kieran Trippier and others have previously said.
"It's hard to put a target of exactly where we want to be," he added. "Newcastle fans, in general, always seem to not get ahead of ourselves but get very excited when positive things happen. I have heard people talk about Europe but if we were finishing comfortably in the top 10 this season, that shows progression."
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