EDDIE HOWE WANTS CONSISTENCY FROM NEWCASTLE AFTER BIG MAN CITY PERFORMANCE
Eddie Howe warns Newcastle their Man City win "means nothing" if they fail against Marseille & Everton. Harvey Barnes' brace sealed a vital victory ahead of a crucial Champions League trip.
Newcastle's manager, Eddie Howe, cautioned his team that their uplifting victory against Manchester City will not mean much if they do not follow it up with good results against Marseille and Everton.
Howe's team broke a streak of two Premier League losses with a 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola's team at St. James' Park on Saturday night, in what was possibly their best showing of the season so far.
However, with a tough schedule that includes a Champions League game in the south of France on Tuesday night before Saturday's league game on Merseyside, head coach Howe understands that this is just the beginning.
"The real test is Marseille and Everton," he stated. "We now have to play a very tough opponent away in the Champions League, and we need to perform well.
"We will have very little rest, and that's the biggest challenge for us. Our schedule between now and the end of January is packed, so now the players have to take care of themselves; we need to regroup and continue."
Newcastle will travel with confidence after a performance that showed both their clear talent and the determination that has marked their return to prominence under Howe when they needed it most.
Harvey Barnes had already missed two great chances, and Nick Woltemade had been stopped twice by Gianluigi Donnarumma, before the former Leicester player exchanged passes with Bruno Guimarães twice before finally scoring against the Italy international after 63 minutes.
Rúben Dias scored the equaliser within five minutes as City responded, but Barnes scored the winning goal with 20 minutes left after Guimaraes was just barely played onside by Dias.
However, it was the character that Howe's team showed in defending their narrow lead until the final whistle—a period that included eight minutes of added time—that was perhaps most pleasing for the Newcastle supporters.
When asked if his team had rediscovered its edge, Howe stated, "Yes, possibly. You need that. For me, that means doing everything you can to win, so yes, I think you need a bit of fire in your game, but within the rules, of course.
"You don't want to see red cards, but you want to see us being really tough but fair in trying to do everything we can to win."
Full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento both played well on their returns to the starting line-up after injury before the former went off with cramp, but Anthony Gordon, who has been dealing with a hip problem, and fellow England international Kieran Trippier, who hurt his hamstring in training on Friday, were not in the starting eleven.
Howe stated, "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. I'm not sure about Kieran. I'm waiting for feedback from the medical team."
BRUNO GUIMARãES INSPIRES 3-1 WIN; NEWCASTLE STILL "DREAMING AND BELIEVING" IN EUROPE
After 10 weeks out, Bruno Guimarães inspired Newcastle to victory, as the Magpies chase a Europa Conference League spot.
Bruno Guimaraes opened up about Newcastle United’s new target for their last three games of the 2025/26 season, right after they won 3-1 against Brighton. He looked sharp, helping set up two goals in the first half and getting Newcastle back in the hunt for a European spot. Still, they must win the remaining matches to secure a Europa Conference League spot.
Talking about the locker room vibe before the game, Bruno said spirits were high, and everyone knew how crucial this match was. If Newcastle can beat Nottingham Forest next weekend at the City Ground, they’ll still be dreaming about Europe. That’s the goal. Of course, things could shake up if Crystal Palace win against Bournemouth tomorrow; Newcastle would drop a spot, but the table would open up, and they'd be just four points behind Bournemouth.
After the game, Bruno said, “It felt very good. Before kickoff, we all understood how important today was for us and our European chase. Points really matter now; we’re still dreaming and believing. Brighton's a tough team. We deserved to win. They had plenty of chances. We were better in the first half, but in the second half, they picked up. I’m glad we held onto the three points. We’re looking up. We have to win our next three games to reach Europe.”
Bruno just returned from a ten-week hamstring injury and played his second match in a week, lasting almost the whole game before coming off. Asked about how he’s feeling, he said, “I feel amazing, really good, after ten weeks out. First big injury of my career. I’m not back to my best physical level yet, but I performed well today.”
Newcastle’s medical staff and Howe’s team will need to watch him closely through these last games, especially with the World Cup coming up. The Brazilian FA obviously wants him fit for the tournament in the US.
His comeback has made a big difference. Bruno was the heart of the team against Brighton, showing his quality with 39 touches in 89 minutes and recovering the ball six times, helping Newcastle hold onto their lead amidst heavy pressure in the second half. He got fouled five times, took the heat off his teammates when needed, and now will need rest ahead of next weekend’s trip to Forest, where he’ll face former teammate Elliot Anderson.
This game also marked a milestone for Bruno: his 150th Premier League appearance for Newcastle, sharing that achievement with Dan Burn against the Seagulls.
EDDIE HOWE CONFIRMS HE EXPECTS TO REMAIN NEWCASTLE MANAGER NEXT SEASON
Eddie Howe remains defiant about his Newcastle future after "challenging" talks with PIF owners regarding the club's 14th-place slump.
Eddie Howe’s not shying away from the pressure. Even with all the talk about his future at St James’ Park, he’s backing himself to stay on as Newcastle United head coach next season.
What a difference a year makes. A season ago, Newcastle were celebrating an EFL Cup win and a fifth-place league finish. Now, they’re down in 14th, just stumbling through 2026. Cup runs? Both were cut short by Manchester City. The Champions League? An 8-3 thrashing on aggregate against Barcelona in the last 16. In the league, it’s gone from bad to worse: nine losses from the last 12 matches, more than any other Premier League side since January.
European dreams? Barely there. Newcastle are seven points back from Bournemouth, sitting in seventh, with only four games left. Champions League qualification is totally out of reach; they’re a whopping 16 points off fifth.
On Thursday, Howe found himself at Matfen Hall for the club’s big annual summit with Newcastle’s Saudi-backed owners and executives. “Challenging conversations” is how he put it.
Fast forward to Friday’s pre-match press conference ahead of Brighton, and Howe didn’t dodge questions about his future or the club’s direction.
When a reporter asked if he’ll still be the manager next season, Howe shot straight: “Yeah, I presented; we discussed. The questions were tough, but that’s normal. Every year, no matter where we are in the league, there are challenging questions about decisions, about what led us here. You just explain your thinking. Sure, the questions are harder this year with where we are, but the process was the same as always.”
He’s not pretending things haven’t been tough, but he says he’s as driven as ever. “I don’t need to search for clarity about my future. I’m here, I’m working, I’m committed. The club has to feel we’re on the right path, that the feeling inside is positive, and that we fight on all fronts.”
And he gets it: the reality of football management never goes away. “You can say whatever you want, but it’s what the team does on the pitch that matters. I know that. I don’t need reinvigorating; I feel it already. The motivation's there.”
Howe admits that tough runs make you take a good, hard look at everything. “I’m learning more right now than I have in a long time. Sometimes, the hardest moments are when you improve the most.”
Does he expect to be here next season? “I have to keep that confidence. If you lose the long-term vision, what’s the point? But we need to win games. There’s unity at the club, but let's be honest, my job depends on results.”
Howe is also convinced the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle's 85% owners, aren’t losing faith in the mission.
“The ambition hasn’t changed,” he said. “The goal’s still the same: get to the top of the Premier League and win trophies regularly. As long as the PIF is the owner, I don’t see that changing. They’re very ambitious for the club. A lot of things, infrastructure-wise, take time. You can’t just snap your fingers. Everything’s connected to income, and rushing things risks getting it wrong.”
For now, Howe’s staring down the more immediate problem: snapping a four-game winless streak as Newcastle face Brighton this weekend. And he’s just given the latest on top scorer Anthony Gordon’s fitness because that’s what really matters on Saturday.
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