The quiet threat that Mikel Arteta will have his eye…

The quiet threat that Mikel Arteta will have his eye on as Newcastle United return to action

Newcastle United return to action having been told to look forwards not backwards with Eddie Howe eager for his side not to get drunk on the success they enjoyed in the first 15 matches.

After a five-week break from domestic action, the games now come thick and fast for Howe and his players with cup action high on the agenda. Indeed, two of the first five games back are arguably season-defining and Howe has already described the League Cup tie against Bournemouth as "pivotal" to the campaign.

Let's be honest, if United can get past the Cherries and into the quarter-finals of the League Cup and negotiate their way past League One Sheffield Wednesday to set up a round four tie in the FA Cup, they will be cooking on gas. But perhaps there is just as much intrigue hovering above the first three Premier League back after the World Cup.

The Boxing Day clash at Leicester has already been built up somewhat by their star player James Maddison who believes the Foxes have what it takes to take the three points in this clash. United have their own motivation for this game though after enduring a 4-0 beating at the King Power last term.

Then it's a home game with Leeds to see the year out at St James' Park but perhaps the biggest test of them all will be on January 3. If the Magpies have emerged unbeaten from Leicester and Leeds, the whole country will be tuning in to see if they can get one over Mikel Arteta's men.

Howe and his players inflicted a psychological blow on Arsenal last May when they dented their Champions League hopes at St James' Park in a 2-0 win. Now they will be eyeing something bigger and better at the Emirates Stadium.

If they can - and whether we can handle the heat or not - they will be considering not only Champions League contenders but also in with a shout of influencing the title race no less. The emphasis is not just on Newcastle either is it?

Few pundits expected Arsenal to be top of the pile at this stage, so how will Arteta's Gunners deal with that enforced break? Arteta knows the pressure will be building on his side too and said just after the final game before the break against Wolves: "It's been a long time since we've been in this position, it's a full transformation from the energy and passion of the fans that they've transmitted to these players."

And it's not just about Arsenal, it's Man City, Tottenham, Man United and Liverpool who may also return with a refreshed attitude but Newcastle have earned the right to be part of this conversation. With just one defeat all season so far, Newcastle have to still play Arsenal twice this season and as the great Brian Moore once famously said when commenting on the North London side: "It's up for grabs now."

Whatever way you look at it, the first five fixtures after the World Cup break will define the season for Howe and his troops. Given the way Howe has guided Newcastle through a season in which they have punched above their weight at times - in the eyes of some pundits - you'd back the black and whites to at least make a fist of the opportunity they've given themselves this season, albeit an unexpected one.

The quiet threat that Mikel Arteta will have his eye on as Newcastle United return to action

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