'Forget it' - Kieran Trippier on Leeds United, 'unfortunate' Newcastle United and Magpies must

Third-placed Newcastle approached Sunday's hosting of title-chasing Arsenal having won seven of their last eight league games but Eddie Howe's side fell to a 2-0 defeat that has left the club's fight for a Champions League qualification spot firmly in the melting pot.

Fourth-placed Manchester United were also beaten 1-0 at West Ham United in Sunday's evening game but Liverpool's 1-0 victory at home to Brentford the previous day has now left Jurgen Klopp's fifth-placed Reds just three points behind Newcastle, albeit having played one game more.

Trippier felt his side were unfortunate to leave with nothing from the weekend's clash against the Gunners in which a Jacob Murphy shot smacked back off the post in just the second minute as part of a lightning-fast Magpies start.

Trippier, though, who is wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Jamaal Lascelles, says his team have to quickly forget about the weekend's reverse and must now stick together ahead of four last big games.

The first of those presents a trip to second-bottom relegation-battlers Leeds this weekend in a Saturday lunchtime kick-off which immediately became Trippier's full focus after the 2-0 loss to the Gunners. Speaking to NUFCTV, Trippier was asked how unfortunate his side felt to leave with nothing,

"Definitely," said the 32-year-old right-back. "I think from the first minute when Murph hit the post we went after Arsenal as planned. They were on the back foot for large periods of that first half but at this level, this high intensity game, it's about being clinical. We have been in the past few games but that was the difference in the game, being clinical, and Arsenal took their chances.

"Both teams are fighting for different reasons, one is going for the title, one is going for top four and the first goal was always going to be crucial. It was a high intensity game. But we have got to keep going, we have got to keep moving, we have got to forget this result. We have got to recover and focus on Leeds. That's all we can do now."

Despite their bright start, Newcastle were undone in the 14th minute when Martin Odegaard rifled home a low finish into the bottom right corner from 25 yards out. The Gunners eventually bagged a second goal in the 71st minute via a Fabian Schar own goal from a Gabriel Martinelli cross after Newcastle had earlier been denied by the frame of the goal for a second time as an Alexander Isak header came back off the post. Trippier, though, conceded that his side were also indebted to some smart saves from keeper Nick Pope.

Trippier added: “Arsenal are top of the league for a reason. They are a good side but I feel like we could have done better for the first goal, getting out to the ball just a little bit quicker because he (Odegaard) had too much time to let the shot off.

"You have got to give Popey a lot of credit because I think he saved two one on ones as well so he kept us in the game. There's no excuses. We move on now and we are going to need everyone to stick together because we have got four big games left.”