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Eddie Howe praised Newcastle’s stellar performance against Manchester United, marking it as one of their finest of the season. This victory served as a high note to conclude a tough week.
After experiencing a close defeat against Paris St Germain in a 1-1 tie in the Champions League, followed by a 4-1 win against Chelsea in the Premier League, the Magpies triumphed with a 1-0 victory over Old Trafford at St James’ Park four days later.
When asked if this was the ideal way to end a challenging week, head coach Howe replied: “Yes, I believe so. In my opinion, it was one of our top performances this season.”
“I am pleased with our performance both with and without possession. Despite the challenging week we’ve had and the tough matches we’ve played, the way the players responded at the end of the game in Paris was impressive.”
Anthony Gordon scored in the 55th minute off a cross from Kieran Trippier, securing the points for the team. Despite Newcastle’s domination, they were unable to score until Gordon’s intervention.
After being unfairly denied a win due to a penalty call in the final minutes of the game in Paris, the team was relieved when Harry Maguire accidentally deflected Antony’s shot into the goal, but he was in an offside position.
Gordon has successfully scored in his last four league matches in Tyneside and has now reached a total of six goals for the season, showcasing the fruits of his labor on the training field.
Howe stated that the individual has put in a significant amount of effort towards that task.
“I am very happy because I believed he performed exceptionally well at the beginning of the season. However, every forward must be able to score and have that sense of accomplishment and confidence that comes with it.”
He is not only scoring goals, but also contributing assists and making an impact in crucial moments of the match.
I believe he performed excellently once again today. Kieran delivered an impressive cross, the team executed a solid play, and the finish was well done.
Howe’s only regret was that Nick Pope, the team’s crucial goalkeeper, sustained a dislocated shoulder towards the end of the game and may require surgery.
When asked about his estimated recovery time, the 46-year-old responded, “It’s too soon to tell.” He experienced discomfort when his shoulder was dislocated, but it has now been reset and he is feeling better.
“We will obtain expert advice, but the outlook does not appear favorable.”
The visitors had a tough night, as they have lost their last three games against the Magpies and didn’t seem likely to change their fate until a late surge.
The manager, Erik ten Hag, acknowledged Newcastle’s credit today. Despite having a chance to score with Alejandro Garnacho early on, they were ultimately outplayed and more proactive than us.
“We had to retreat, we had to protect ourselves and we accomplished that. We conceded one goal, but ultimately we rallied, had two promising chances, but unfortunately we were unable to secure a point from this match.”
Marcus Rashford, an English national, appeared frustrated and was substituted by Rasmus Hojlund after 29 minutes.
When questioned about Rashford’s performance, Ten Hag stated that he is putting in a lot of effort and will eventually bounce back with the support of the team.
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