Newcastle United missed out on a place in Europe by the narrowest of margins last season as Manchester United’s surprise FA Cup Final win over Manchester City prevented the Magpies from securing a second successive season in continental competition.
With that unfortunate blow now in the past, Eddie Howe’s men are firmly in the hunt for a place in Europe once again after a fine run of form throughout the last two months took them into the top six. As it stands, United are just two points away from the top four and there is a genuine chance Champions League football could return to St James Park next season.
Another two routes into Europe remain open and Newcastle will qualify for the Europa Conference League if they end their long wait for domestic silverware when they face Liverpool in next month’s Carabao Cup Final. The FA Cup could also provide a route into the Europa League as Howe and his players now turn their focus towards their fifth round home tie against Brighton and Hove Albion following Saturday’s win at League One club Birmingham City.
The likes of Unai Emery, Pep Guardiola and Nuno Espirito Santo will all hope to prevent the Magpies from claiming a spot in Europe – but what have Newcastle’s top seven rivals been saying about Howe and his side so far this season?
What have opposing Premier League managers said about Newcastle United this season?
Liverpool
Arne Slot will face Newcastle twice in the next month and could deny the Magpies from ending their long wait for major silverware. Speaking after Liverpool’s dramatic draw on Tyneside in December, the Reds boss said: “In the first half we had a lot of problems with their intensity, aggressive playing style without the ball – aggressive in a good way. We tried to cope with it, but every time we touched them we got a yellow and that doesn’t really help for us to be intense then as well. “But we give credit to them, they were more intense than us. They forced us into too many mistakes. It wasn’t that difficult for us to be better in the second half with the ball and that’s what we were. “Maybe it was difficult for them to keep the intensity of the first 45 minutes going and as a result of that, or of all of these things, we dominated the second half.”
Arsenal
United have experienced several high-profile clashes with the Gunners and came out on top in the most recent with a 2-0 home win in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. Speaking after that game, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “They’re a tough opponent….They’ve been really effective in the box in the last two games against them and we haven’t. Overall, that was the main difference – it’s true that today we were a bit more unsettled, especially when the game became more chaotic or when they were very direct with their play. “Normally we are much more composed and today we lacked a bit of that, and the game went away from us… physically we were tired and you know we played so many games, we played so many games every three days, and we knew that this was going to be a really high-intensity one.”
Nottingham Forest
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are the surprise package in this season’s Premier League – but that didn’t stop Newcastle from racking up a win against them. Speaking after his side were beaten in November, Nuno said: “We taste something today that we’ve been doing this season with the counter-attack and taking advantage of speed. They have very good players and we suffered there. “It is a lesson for us. We cannot say anything about our players. We gave everything that we have. We have to recognise today that Newcastle were the better team. They were very effective. “We have to be proud of our effort against a good team. It is a very, very good league. I cannot say that was a bad performance, that is totally out of the question. We played against a very good team that was able to control us and then hurt us in the way we’ve been doing. It is a lesson for us to learn.”
Chelsea
Speaking ahead of his side’s home win against the Magpies in October, Enzo Maresca said: “Newcastle are very clear: they are physically strong, they are very good. They have been unlucky, especially in the last game against Brighton, but overall they have deserved more points and the way they work over the years together is quite clear. I really like Newcastle and probably this is the moment when teams can do something good when they are in a difficult moment.”
Manchester City
Speaking after City’s 2-2 draw at St James Park in September, Pep Guardiola said: “I said to him (Eddie Howe) I admire him and the way he approaches the game. Newcastle press high and are so hard to play against. They have a lot of legs. When you are a manager you are always polite to an opponent who is trying to do the right things. In general, we played really good. Newcastle are impossible to contain over a whole 90 minutes. At 1-0 we made some bad decisions and did not make it 2-0. We would like to have won but we take the point. “It was difficult, with their physicality because they defend so deep and they defend so well. After the goal they scored, they had five or 10 minutes but it’s always like that at St James’ Park.”
Bournemouth
A depleted Cherries side produced arguably their result of the season when they ended Newcastle’s long unbeaten run with a dominant 4-1 win on Tyneside last month. Speaking after the game, a proud Andoni Iraola said: “It was very, very good. I am very proud of the players. We played very well and a very mature game. I can’t say a lot. It was a fully deserved win. They are a very good team and you can never feel confident because they always push but we played a very complete game. Until they scored we played very well. We were brave and created chances. We finished strong and hats off to my players. I can’t say anything else. It is difficult to find a better win, it is very difficult. We came into this game very thin and everybody has played their part and a little bit more.”
Aston Villa
Villa emerged pointless from their Boxing Day visit to St James Park as Anthony Gordon, Joelinton and Alexander Isak helped United to a 3-0 win against a visitors side reduced to ten men by Jhon Duran’s first-half red card. Speaking after the game, an unhappy Unai Emery said: “We started the first 30 minutes conceding one goal. We made a mistake conceding it. And, of course, here, to start losing is difficult, but we reacted very well. The first 30 minutes, we were more or less feeling comfortable and feeling confidence to continue in our game plan and try to get something. Circumstances happened in the match which were key for the result.”
Fulham
Cottagers manager Marco Silva was understandably delighted as his side came from a goal down to earn a 2-1 win at St James Park earlier this month. He said: “I’m very pleased, really. It’s not easy to play here against a really good side who are well managed and are also a very physical one. “It’s really difficult to control the game against the players they have in the middle of the park but most of the time we did it.”
Brighton and Hove Albion
The Seagulls will hope to replicate a narrow win on Tyneside when they visit St James Park for an FA Cup fifth round tie next month. Speaking after their previous win over the Magpies, Fabian Hurzeler said: “The first half was what we expected from Newcastle with a lot of intensity and rotation and we suffered a lot. They were better in the first half and we had a bit of luck, but we showed a brilliant reaction in the second half. “My team suffered together and defended together and that is why I am happy for them that they got the result. I loved the clean sheet and I always say that defences win championships. We got smashed against Chelsea but we learned from that.”
‘Impossible to contain’ – What the likes of Arsenal & Liverpool have said about Newcastle United this season
