Three home games against Arsenal; three successive victories without conceding a goal on either occasion. It might be one of the toughest assignments on the Premier League fixture list, but when Newcastle host the Gunners at St James’ Park on Sunday, they will head into the game holding the upper hand.

“It’s always been competitive against Arsenal in the games when I’ve been here,” said Eddie Howe. “There has been an edge to those games because I think both teams have been desperate to win.

“We encourage that. The more competitive we are, the better we play. We certainly need to bring that part of our game.

“We play the teams in the Premier League so often that results ebb and flow. Sometimes, you do better against one team that you do against others. Bournemouth were our last opponent, and our record against them has been disappointing.

“You don’t think about that too much going into the game because it’s always a fresh game and a fresh opportunity to impress. The past isn’t really relevant, but you need to take whatever confidence you can with you positively. We’ll look to...