Gutierrez eyes sixth at Liverpool´s expense

28 March 2012 12:23

Newcastle midfielder Jonas Gutierrez feels his side can edge closer to a top-six finish with victory over Liverpool.

A win for Newcastle on Sunday would see them open up an 11-point gap over their nearest rivals for sixth spot, with only seven league games remaining.

And Gutierrez understands the importance of the fixture, which comes after a confidence-boosting win over West Brom.

"We know we can open up a gap over Liverpool. It's going to be a big game for us, so we’re going to have to be fully focused," the Argentine winger said.

"We enjoyed ourselves against West Brom, and we know that we have a lot of games and a lot of points before the end of the season. We are taking it game by game and nothing else."

"We need to get as many points as we can before the end of the season, it’s not over yet."

Gutierrez also went on to praise team-mate Hatem Ben Arfa, after the Frechman's man-of-the-match display in the 3-1 win at the Hawthorns.

"We know all about Hatem. We know what he can do when he has the ball, and he did that (on Sunday)," he said.

"People say that he can’t adapt to English football because it is too physical, too tough, but he found the right moment and the right space to cause problems.

"He's an important player for us, he's learning about English football, it's different to other teams. He's learning that every day."