Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has told his players to relish the quest for a top-four finish 12 months after their successful battle for Premier League survival.
The Magpies head into Sunday's home clash with Manchester United sitting in fifth place, two places and three points behind the visitors with 12 games remaining.
It is a far cry from the situation in which they found themselves at the same stage of the last campaign, when they went into the run-in with just 28 points banked - and 16 of those from the previous six games - and their top-flight status by no means secure.
Asked if he could enjoy the challenge, Howe said: "It's certainly the better place to be than the other way around. I have to enjoy these moments and will try to enjoy.
"I love training, so I enjoy that part of it and yes, why not? Let's try to enjoy it and relish every moment and embrace the challenge rather than in any way fear where we are.
"We are where we are on merit at the moment and we want more.
"When you're battling relegation you know there's a lot at stake - there's people's futures at stake, there are jobs of staff who rely on you to stay in the division, so you're playing for other people's futures, your own future and you realise the consequences of relegation.
"When you're in this position, the pressure is just as intense, but in a slightly different way. Expectations rise and you try to keep up with that demand when you're winning games.
"The pressure doesn't feel any different when you're sat in this seat."
Victory this weekend would see the Magpies surpass last season's points total of 49 with 11 games to go - they currently sit on 47 - and that would represent a significant achievement, although Howe and his staff are judging progress by a range of indicators rather than that alone.
He said: "I would say it would be the most important one. The points, ultimately, are what you play for.
"The game has gone statistic-mad, really, because we're inundated with lots of data, lots of indicators of performance, lots of comparisons with us and other teams, so we use those as good markers for where we need to improve, areas that we're really strong at.
"Statistically across the board, we've seen a big improvement from last year to this. Of course the challenge for us is to continue that as we move forward.
"The big thing that I had was we need to improve every aspect of our performance, as I say, using the data that we have. We've achieved that, then you hope that turns into points - but that is not always the case."
Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag expects Marcus Rashford to be fit for Manchester United's trip to Newcastle on Sunday after the forward missed England's recent internationals due to injury.
Rashford withdrew from the England squad for their Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine after suffering an unspecified knock during United's FA Cup quarter-final win over Fulham.
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The%20specs
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Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
Results
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'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
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MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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