Eddie Howe had exhausted all options.
The head coach of Newcastle United had previously experimented with teams that pressed Manchester City and others that chose to sit back. He tried multiple formations, and yet, nothing seemed to work.
As the match against City approached, Howe joked, “we don’t have anything new left,” indicating his frustration.
But in fact, there was still a fresh approach.
Faced with the need for a strong result after a tough loss to Brentford before the international break, Howe and his staff crafted a strategy that ultimately paid dividends, leading to a 2-1 triumph over Manchester City at a lively St James’ Park. This victory marked Howe’s first success against Pep Guardiola’s side after 17 attempts in the Premier League.
“I’ve got an extensive list of what hasn’t worked against them, so I can tell you what doesn’t work,” Howe noted. “What does work? That’s a short list, but we learn from our experiences and make small adjustments. That’s precisely what we did.”
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‘I don’t believe in making drastic changes’
The groundwork for this strategy was laid in the aftermath of Newcastle’s 3-1 defeat against Brentford earlier this month.
Howe dedicated numerous hours to analyzing footage, examining training sessions, and searching for solutions during what has been a puzzling season.
Despite a smaller training group, Newcastle aimed to restore “their energy and athleticism” over the international break.
Several key adjustments were made for the match against Manchester City.
Captain Bruno Guimaraes was repositioned into a central role within the midfield trio, a spot typically held by Sandro Tonali for the past year. Additionally, full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento returned to the starting lineup together for the first time since September, significantly impacting the game.
Fabian Schar also returned to the starting lineup for the first time in two months, substituting for center-back Sven Botman.
However, Howe opted not to make sweeping alterations and maintained his preferred 4-3-3 formation. Two of the three changes in the starting lineup were necessary due to injuries sustained by Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon.
The majority of players who had participated in the losses at Brentford and West Ham were given the opportunity to redeem themselves.
“I don’t advocate for completely overhauling everything,” Howe expressed. “Unless we’re in a state of absolute panic, which we’re not. I don’t believe in that style of leadership anyway.
“I have a clear understanding of who our stronger players are, and I want to provide them with every chance to demonstrate their abilities while aiding in their development.”
Barnes shines
Nonetheless, a change was essential.
Before this match, only the struggling Wolves and Leeds United had scored fewer goals than Newcastle in the Premier League.
Record signing Nick Woltemade had often seemed isolated, lacking support, especially in away games.
Although Woltemade was away with the German national team during the international break, Newcastle focused on optimizing player movements around him, involving Barnes and Jacob Murphy to maximize his impact upon his return.
During the match on Saturday, Newcastle indeed created several opportunities for Woltemade, who was denied three times by Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
While Newcastle had previously leaned heavily on Woltemade, other players began to step up.
Barnes was particularly noteworthy.
Despite missing a couple of crucial chances in the first half—one being a glaring miss—Barnes made amends by scoring a fantastic goal from the edge of the area in the second half, followed by a decisive strike just minutes after Manchester City equalized through Ruben Dias.
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Newcastle had previously lost leads against Arsenal, Brentford, and West Ham, but this time they held strong even after Manchester City equalized and through eight minutes of stoppage time.
This was a night when Newcastle outperformed City in tackles, aerial duels, and blocks. Although Manchester City had more possession, which skewed statistics, Newcastle managed to make nearly twice as many clearances (36) and restricted City to just four shots on target.
Former Newcastle defender Jonathan Woodgate commented on the defensive effort, emphasizing how challenging Newcastle was to overcome when City attempted to find space. “In the second half, I felt Newcastle were the superior team, consistently catching City on the break and scoring two outstanding goals from Barnes. What an exciting match!”
St James’ Park—A stronghold
But should this result at St James’ come as a major surprise?
Only Manchester City (13) has triumphed in more Premier League home matches than Newcastle (11) in 2025.
Since last season, Newcastle has won eight, drawn two, and only lost two home games against top opponents, including Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham across all competitions.
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In contrast, Newcastle has not secured an away victory in the Premier League since April, which is why they found themselves just above the relegation zone prior to this significant win.
“As much as I’d like to think the crowd shouldn’t influence players on the pitch, it truly changes everything,” Howe stated. “We must figure out how to channel some of that positive energy into our away performances when we lack the crowd support.
“This is something we need to address, whether it’s related to our system, personnel, or other factors. Whatever it takes, we must work diligently to resolve it.”