Newcastle United: It's Time to Start Hatem Ben Arfa

Sitting sixth in the Premier League table, with only one point separating them from both Chelsea and Arsenal, Newcastle United are ready for another shot at sealing the fourth and final Champions League spot, after a nine-year absence from the competition.

Despite their high position in the table, recent weeks have been somewhat disappointing for the Toon. Recent losses to Spurs and Fulham (in which five goals were conceded in both games) have stopped Newcastle from extending a small lead they once had over Arsenal and Chelsea.

As a result, you can't help but feel that Newcastle need a spark to push them forward as they reach the final hurdle.

Could that spark be Hatem Ben Arfa?

Ben Arfa's current position on Alan Pardew's bench is a surprise to almost everyone who has seen Ben Arfa play in a Newcastle shirt.

The Frenchman excites fans with every touch of the ball, and before his unfortunate injury against Manchester City in 2010, he was widely considered to be the Magpies' best attacking player.

The lacklustre Gabriel Obertan currently occupies Ben Arfa's place in the starting XI, and his problems since joining Newcastle have been well-documented.

As recently as last weekend against Spurs, Obertan has been caught out of position and looks a complete contrast to Jonas Gutierrez on the right.

Besides their victory over Aston Villa, Newcastle have seemed a little lost in recent weeks, missing the type of player who can completely take a hold of a game.

Fabricio Coloccini has been one of these types of players all season, but as a defender his impact on offence is limited and, even in defence, he can't do it all himself, case-in-point being the 5-0 loss to Spurs.

Even with Ba and Cisse heading their attack, goals don't seem easily forthcoming for Newcastle, at least not without an "assist-man."

Ba's exceptional season has masked Newcastle's inability to score, with their second-leading scorer being Leon Best with only four.

Furthermore, the Magpies are the worst team in the EPL's Top Seven in terms of goal difference and—whilst this can be partly attributed to conceding five goals in two recent games—this signals that they simply aren't scoring enough.

Someone needs to initiate Newcastle's attack, and that man is Hatem Ben Arfa. He may be erratic, and he may be inconsistent, but Hatem can make things happen.

Only 13 games remain in the EPL season, and if Newcastle want to experience European nights once again, risks have to be taken as they close out the season.

This is one of them.