Newcastle 'close to our best' in win over Manchester City - Howe
The Newcastle manager had tested various strategies.
The Newcastle United head coach previously deployed sides who pressed Manchester City aggressively. He fielded others who adopted deeper defensive positions. Different systems were tested, but none yielded victory.
Howe was barely exaggerating when he said "we've tried everything" ahead of the weekend fixture.
But he discovered a solution.
When Newcastle desperately needed a positive result, following a difficult loss at Brentford before the international break, Howe and his team devised a tactical plan to secure their first victory against Manchester City.
Their approach worked perfectly, resulting in a 2-1 triumph at a vibrant St James' Park giving Howe his maiden win over Guardiola's Manchester City in league competition.
"I've got lists and lists of things that haven't worked against them so I could probably tell you what doesn't," Howe explained. "Telling you what does is a very small piece of paper, but you just try and learn from experience and just tweak something the next time. That's what we did."
The foundation was established in the days following Newcastle's 3-1 defeat at Brentford this month.
Howe dedicated countless hours analyzing match footage, reviewing training sessions and seeking solutions to what has been an inconsistent campaign.
With a smaller squad during the international period, the team worked on restoring "their vitality and movement".
Some significant tactical changes were introduced against Manchester City.
Captain Bruno Guimaraes was assigned a central role in the midfield three, where Sandro Tonali had been positioned for most of the past year, while returning full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento started together for the first time since September and made a substantial impact.
Fabian Schar also made his first top-flight start in two months, replacing centre-back Sven Botman.
However, rather than implementing radical changes, Howe maintained his preferred 4-3-3 system with two of the three lineup changes being necessitated by injuries to Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon.
The majority of players who featured at Brentford and, indeed, in the damaging defeat at West Ham, were given opportunities to redeem themselves.
"I don't agree with completely overhauling systems," Howe emphasized. "Unless you're in absolute panic mode, which we're not, and I don't believe in that style of leadership anyway.
"I'm confident in identifying our best performers and aim to give them maximum chances to showcase their abilities by supporting them and facilitating their growth."
Newcastle's record showed only one win in 35 previous top-flight matches against City
Nevertheless, adjustments were clearly necessary.
Prior to this game, only Wolves and Leeds United had netted fewer Premier League goals than Newcastle.
New signing Nick Woltemade had seemed detached, with minimal attacking supply, particularly away from home.
Despite Woltemade's absence with the German national team, the squad developed new supporting movements for their forward featuring Barnes and Jacob Murphy, to optimize his contribution after his international commitment.
Newcastle certainly created opportunities for Woltemade on Saturday, who was denied on three occasions by Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Although Newcastle had become too Woltemade-focused, other attackers have emerged as reliable options.
Especially Barnes.
Barnes wasted crucial opportunities before halftime - even missing from close range - and acknowledged he wasn't "the most appreciated player" at intermission.
But not only did Barnes open the scoring with an excellent effort from the edge of the area in the second half, he delivered the winner just minutes after Manchester City equalized through Ruben Dias.
The Magpies had held advantages against Arsenal, Brentford and West Ham but ended up defeated.
Yet they remained resilient after City's equalizer and throughout eight minutes of added time.
The match featured Newcastle outperforming City in defensive statistics, including tackles, headers and blocks.
Despite City's possession advantage, which distorts the data, Newcastle cleared their lines 36 times and confined City to merely four shots on goal.
The defensive display caught the attention of ex-Newcastle player Jonathan Woodgate.
"Defensively they were outstanding, making it extremely challenging for City to exploit gaps in midfield," he stated in his broadcast analysis. "In the second period I judged them the dominant team, frequently exposing City in transition and finishing with two excellent Barnes strikes. What an entertaining match."
However, should this victory at a illuminated St James' Park be considered completely unexpected?
Only City (13) have collected more home league wins than Newcastle (11) in the current season.
Beginning last season, the Magpies have achieved eight wins, two draws and merely two losses at St James' Park versus elite Premier League opposition.
Nonetheless, on their travels, Newcastle haven't secured a league victory since spring.
This explains why the team were just a single point above the relegation zone before Saturday's significant victory.
"Although I wish to state that atmosphere shouldn't impact gameplay, it fundamentally alters proceedings," Howe admitted. "We have to discover ways to create positivity in road games without spectator backing.
"This is our challenge to address, whether via tactical modifications, roster decisions. Regardless of the approach, we need to commit to finding remedies."
A seasoned casino strategist with over a decade of experience in gaming analysis and player psychology, Elena shares insights to help players succeed.
New