Eddie Howe had tried all the things.
The Newcastle United head coach beforehand despatched out sides who pressed Manchester Metropolis. He fielded others who dropped off. He tried varied formations, all with out success.
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It received to the stage the place Howe was solely half joking when he stated “we do not have something new left” on the eve of Saturday’s sport.
However he did.
When Newcastle wanted a outcome most, following a bruising defeat at Brentford earlier than the worldwide break, Howe and his employees devised a plan to lastly get the higher of Manchester Metropolis within the Premier League.
And it paid off following a 2-1 win at a raucous St James’ Park as Howe tasted victory in opposition to Pep Guardiola’s aspect for the primary time within the prime flight at his seventeenth try.
“I’ve received lists and lists of issues that have not labored in opposition to them so I might in all probability let you know what would not,” Howe stated. “Telling you what does is a really small piece of paper, however you simply try to be taught from expertise and simply tweak one thing the following time. That is what we did.”
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‘I do not agree with ripping issues up’
The seeds had been planted within the days after Newcastle’s this month.
Howe spent numerous hours analysing footage, reviewing coaching and looking for solutions to what has been a curious marketing campaign.
It might have been a smaller coaching group, however Newcastle tried to rediscover “their vitality and athleticism” through the worldwide break.
And there have been some notable tweaks for the go to of Manchester Metropolis.
Captain Bruno Guimaraes was handed a central position within the midfield three, the place Sandro Tonali has taken up residence for the very best a part of a 12 months, whereas returning full-backs Lewis Corridor and Tino Livramento began their first sport collectively since September and made an enormous distinction.
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Fabian Schar additionally made his first top-flight begin in two months rather than centre-back Sven Botman.
Nonetheless, relatively than making radical adjustments, Howe caught together with his favoured 4-3-3 system and two of the three alterations to his beginning line-up had been successfully enforced after Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon missed out by damage.
The majority of these gamers who lined up at Brentford and, certainly, within the damaging defeat at West Ham, got the possibility to make amends in consequence.
“I do not agree with ripping issues up,” Howe stated. “Except you are in absolute panic mode, which we’re not, and I do not consider in that model of management anyway.
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“I feel I’ve an excellent thought on who our stronger gamers are and I need to try to give them each alternative to showcase that by serving to them and creating them.”
Barnes steps up
One thing needed to change, although.
Solely struggling Wolves and Leeds United had scored fewer objectives than Newcastle within the prime flight earlier than this sport.
Report signing Nick Woltemade had minimize an remoted determine, with little to feed off, significantly on the highway.
Although Woltemade was away with Germany through the worldwide break, Newcastle labored on completely different actions of the gamers across the ahead, equivalent to Barnes and Jacob Murphy, to attempt to deliver out the very best in him when he returned.
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Newcastle actually created probabilities on Saturday for Woltemade, who was foiled on three events by Manchester Metropolis goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
However whereas Newcastle had been as soon as over-reliant on Woltemade, others have began to step up.
Not least Barnes.
The ahead was responsible of a few huge misses within the first half – even failing to hit the goal with the objective gaping – and stated he was not “the preferred man” on the break.
However not solely did Barnes open the scoring with a high-quality effort from the sting of the world within the second half, he stepped up with a winner simply minutes after Manchester Metropolis levelled by Ruben Dias.
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Newcastle beforehand led in opposition to Arsenal, Brentford and West Ham solely to lose.
However they didn’t crumble when Manchester Metropolis drew degree or, certainly, after eight minutes of stoppage time had been added on.
This was a night when Newcastle gained extra tackles and aerial duels, and made extra blocks than the guests.
Although Manchester Metropolis dominated possession, which naturally skews the determine, Newcastle stood up and made almost twice as many clearances (36) and restricted the guests to simply 4 pictures on the right track.
That defensive effort didn’t go unnoticed by former Newcastle defender Jonathan Woodgate.
“Out of possession they had been top-drawer and made it so troublesome when Metropolis tried to search out these little pockets in between the traces,” he instructed BBC Radio 5 Reside.
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“Second half I believed they had been the higher group, saved on catching Metropolis on transitions and ended up scoring two implausible objectives by Barnes. What a sport of soccer.”
Fortress St James’
But ought to this outcome below the lights at St James’ essentially come as an enormous shock?
Solely Manchester Metropolis (13) have gained extra Premier League house video games than Howe’s group (11) in 2025.
For the reason that begin of final season, Newcastle have gained eight, drawn two and misplaced simply two of their house fixtures in opposition to Manchester Metropolis, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham in all competitions.
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Nonetheless, away from house, Newcastle haven’t triumphed within the prime flight since April.
That’s the reason why this aspect had been only a level above the relegation zone earlier than Saturday’s landmark win.
“As a lot as I might prefer to say the gang should not make the distinction to the gamers on the pitch, it adjustments all the things,” Howe stated.
“We’ve got to determine a option to switch some optimistic vitality into our performances away when we do not have the gang.
“That is going to be for us to repair, whether or not that is system associated, personnel associated. No matter it’s, we have to work laborious to determine it out.”
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