NEWCASTLE UNITED head to the Emirates tomorrow – but Alan Pardew has claimed they should be playing in the ‘Arsene Wenger Stadium’ in recognition of all the Frenchman has achieved during his 18 years at Arsenal.

Wenger was abused by a group of his own fans as he entered Stoke-on-Trent train station in the wake of last weekend’s 3-2 defeat in the Potteries, and while this week’s successful qualification for the knockout stage of the Champions League has tempered frustrations, a tally of one trophy in the last nine-and-a-half seasons has left the Frenchman at loggerheads with a sizeable percentage of the Arsenal support.

Pardew was on the receiving end of some sustained abuse of his own earlier this season, with fans repeatedly calling for his head before he engineered a six-game winning run to transform the Magpies’ campaign.

The Newcastle boss has had his run-ins with Wenger in the past, but was sickened by the footage of last weekend’s scenes and cannot believe the lack of respect afforded to a manager he regards as second to only Sir Alex Ferguson in terms of his standing in the Premier League era.

“That stadium (the Emirates) should be named after him,” said Pardew. “The job he did in that move across, when they had all that debt and he had to be very careful with the transfer budget – it was a miracle that he kept them in the Champions League.

“The incident at the train station was totally disrespectful. I think 99 per cent of Arsenal fans would have been ashamed of that and we could get the backlash from it.

“They will want to show him how much they love him, although Arsene knows that instant results are massive, even for someone who has been in the position as long as he has.

“I think everyone at Arsenal knows that he’s done a magnificent job. But all of us managers are on a six-game, seven-game period with the media and social media, we have to accept that.”

Newcastle’s next six or seven games will see them deprived of the services of their two leading goalkeepers as both Tim Krul and Rob Elliot recover from serious injuries.

Jak Alnwick will be the Magpies’ first-choice shot-stopper until the turn of the year, having impressed as he made his debut from the substitutes’ bench in last weekend’s 2-1 win over Chelsea, and Pardew has challenged the 21-year-old to earn a new deal.

Alnwick is due to become a free agent in the summer, and while Newcastle officials had previously been ready to sever their ties with the Northumbrian, he suddenly finds himself with an unexpected opportunity to force his employers’ hand.

“This puts him in a great position if he plays really well in the next seven games," said Pardew, who is also without suspended duo Steven Taylor and Moussa Sissoko. “That would make it more difficult for us when it comes to contract negotiations. That is definitely in Jak's court."

For all that Newcastle only trail Arsenal on goal difference, a trip to the Emirates hardly represents the easiest of assignments for a first Premier League start.

Alnwick's last senior start came in an FA Cup second-round tie against Tamworth while he was on loan at Gateshead, but Pardew has no concerns about his ability to hold himself together tomorrow.

“Robbie (Elliot) will be out for six to eight games so it's a great opportunity for Jak and he's very keen to take it,” he said. “He's had a great start and has fitted in very well.

“He has worked very hard in the background but never had an opportunity. I have great faith in him, but he will need a lot of luck as well, particularly in that crucial position. He deserves a bit of luck because he is a cracking lad and I'm very proud of him.”

Last weekend’s win over Chelsea means Arsenal retain their record of being the only club to go through an entire Premier League season without losing a game.

The ‘Invincibles’ of the 2003-04 season remain unmatched, and Pardew expects Wenger to have had a wry smile once news of Newcastle’s victory over Chelsea filtered through to him.

“Yeah, I imagine Arsene might have had a glass of wine after that game,” said the Newcastle boss. “When you have that tag you don’t want to lose it to anyone.

“But we can only worry about us. It was a tremendous performance and the players can be proud.”