Cliff Notes – Newcastle must back up their shock win over Manchester City – Eddie Howe
- Eddie Howe emphasised the importance of maintaining momentum after Newcastle’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City, urging players to secure positive results against Marseille and Everton.
- The team showcased resilience and quality in their performance, with Harvey Barnes scoring both goals, but Howe acknowledged the challenges of a demanding schedule ahead.
- Howe noted the need for players to manage their fitness and regroup quickly, as they face tough opponents in the Champions League and Premier League.
Newcastle must back up their shock win over Manchester City – Eddie Howe
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has warned his players their morale-boosting win over Manchester City will count for little if they do not back it up with positive results against Marseille and Everton.
Howe’s side ended a run of two Premier League defeats with a 2-1 victory over Pep Guardiola’s men at St James’ Park on Saturday evening with arguably their best performance of the season to date.
However, amid an unrelenting schedule which sees them head for the south of France in the Champions League on Tuesday night ahead of Saturday’s league trip to Merseyside, head coach Howe knows it is only a start.
“The acid test is Marseille and Everton,” he said. “We have to now go away in the Champions League to a very difficult opponent and we need to perform.
A Harvey Barnes brace gave Newcastle a comeback win over Manchester City on Saturday. Getty
“We’ll get very limited rest and that’s the biggest challenge we face. Our schedule between now and the end of January is relentless, so now the players have to look after themselves, we have to regroup and go again.”
Newcastle will embark upon their travels buoyed by a display which demonstrated both their undoubted quality and the grit which has characterised their return to prominence under Howe when they needed it most.
Harvey Barnes had already passed up two glorious opportunities and Nick Woltemade had twice been denied by Gianluigi Donnarumma when the former Leicester man twice exchanged passes with Bruno Guimarães before finally beating the Italy international with 63 minutes gone.
Rúben Dias equalised within five minutes as City responded, but Barnes stabbed home what proved to be the winner with 20 minutes remaining after Guimaraes had been played onside — if only just — by Dias.
However, it was the character Howe’s men showed to defend their slim advantage until the final whistle — a period which included eight minutes of stoppage time — which was perhaps most welcome for those of the black and white persuasion.
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Asked if his side had rediscovered its edge, Howe said: “Yes, possibly. You need that. For me, that is described as doing everything it takes to win, so yes, I think you need a bit of devilment in your game, of course within the rules.
“You don’t want to see red cards, but you want to see us being really hard, but fair to try to do everything we can to win.”
Full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento both shone on their respective returns to the starting line-up after injury before the former limped off with cramp, but there was no place in the XI for Anthony Gordon, who has been nursing a hip problem, or fellow England international Kieran Trippier, who damaged a hamstring in training on Friday.
Howe said: “Anthony is very close, he just wasn’t quite ready for today. But he’s working hard and I think he’ll be ready in the next few days. Kieran, I’m unsure on. I’m waiting for feedback from the medical team.”