Newcastle 'close to our best' in win over Manchester City - Howe
Howe had tried numerous approaches.
Previously, Howe had sent out teams that applied intense pressure against Manchester City. He tried alternative approaches with teams that dropped deeper. Different systems were tested, but none yielded victory.
It reached the point where Howe was only partially joking when he stated "we don't have anything new left" before Saturday's match.
Yet he found an answer.
After suffering a disappointing defeat at Brentford prior to the international break, Newcastle required a response, Howe and his team devised a tactical plan to secure their first victory against Manchester City.
The strategy paid dividends with a 2-1 win in front of a passionate home crowd giving Howe his maiden win over Guardiola's Manchester City in league competition.
"My records show numerous failed strategies against City, making clear what doesn't work," Howe stated. "The list of effective methods is brief, but we continuously learn and refine our approach. This was our process."
Planning commenced in the aftermath of their Brentford setback.
Howe dedicated countless hours analyzing match footage, reviewing training sessions and seeking solutions to what has been an inconsistent campaign.
Despite having fewer players available, Newcastle concentrated on regaining "their dynamism and physicality" during the break.
Several notable adjustments were implemented for Manchester City's visit.
Bruno Guimaraes was deployed centrally in midfield, a role previously held by Sandro Tonali, with returning defenders Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento making their first joint start since autumn and creating a significant difference.
Defender Fabian Schar earned his first league start since autumn, coming in for Sven Botman.
Nonetheless, instead of making sweeping alterations, Howe stuck with his favored 4-3-3 formation 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 support the idea of tearing everything down," Howe declared. "Only in crisis situations would I consider drastic changes, which this isn't, and that's not my approach.
"I possess strong insight into our top talent and strive to create optimal conditions for their development by supporting them and facilitating their growth."
Newcastle's record showed only one win in 35 previous top-flight matches against City
Something clearly needed to change, however.
Only struggling Wolves and Leeds United had scored fewer goals than Newcastle in the top flight before this match.
High-profile acquisition Nick Woltemade had looked disconnected, receiving inadequate support, especially on the road.
While Woltemade was on international duty with Germany, Newcastle practiced varied attacking patterns around their striker such as Barnes and Jacob Murphy, to maximize his effectiveness upon return.
Newcastle certainly created opportunities for Woltemade on Saturday, who was denied on three occasions by Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
However, while Newcastle previously relied too heavily on Woltemade, additional squad members have started making important contributions.
Especially Barnes.
The forward was responsible for several significant misses in the first half - even failing to hit the target with an open goal - and admitted he was not "the most popular man" at halftime.
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.
Newcastle previously led against Arsenal, Brentford and West Ham only to ultimately lose.
But they didn't collapse when Manchester City equalized or, indeed, after eight minutes of stoppage time were added.
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.
This defensive effort was praised by former Magpies defender Jonathan Woodgate.
"Out of possession they were exceptional and created significant difficulties when City attempted to find spaces between the lines," he commented during radio coverage. "In the second period I judged them the dominant team, frequently exposing City in transition and finishing with two excellent Barnes strikes. What an enthralling contest."
However, should this victory at a illuminated St James' Park be considered completely unexpected?
Just Manchester City (13) have secured more home Premier League victories than Newcastle (11) this year.
From the start of the previous campaign, Newcastle have recorded eight victories, two draws and only two defeats at home against top opponents including City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, United and Spurs.
Yet in away matches, Newcastle have failed to win a Premier League game since April.
This accounts for their position just one point clear of the bottom three prior to Saturday's important win.
"Although I wish to state that atmosphere shouldn't impact gameplay, it fundamentally alters proceedings," Howe conceded. "We need to identify methods to generate momentum in away matches without fan assistance.
"This is our challenge to address, whether via tactical modifications, roster decisions. Regardless of the approach, we need to commit to finding remedies."
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