Eddie Howe’s blunt response to Mikel Arteta’s Newcastle United claim

Newcastle United secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Arsenal at St. James’ Park, marking a disappointing second consecutive loss for the Gunners at this venue. Alexander Isak scored the decisive goal in the 12th minute, converting a pinpoint cross from Anthony Gordon.

Despite dominating possession, Arsenal struggled to penetrate Newcastle’s resolute defense, suffering their third defeat in four matches. After the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged his team fell into Newcastle’s preferred style of play. “We started the game really well, we were on top of it, looked sharp,” Arteta said. “Then one action with an unbelievable cross and finish changes the momentum. You know the game they want to play, it’s clear. You can too often get dragged into that type of game and we weren’t good enough. Credit to them for what they do.”

Arteta noted that once his side went behind, they lost their direction. “When we went behind we lacked purpose and a threat. In transition, we allowed them sustained attacks and gave away 17 or 18 free-kicks, which stops the game constantly. It is not a good outcome for us,” he explained. “They are really good at what they want to do, and we got dragged into that today.”

Newcastle’s head coach Eddie Howe responded to Arteta’s comments, stating, “It’s irrelevant to me what anyone says really apart from my team, and that’s how we’ve always looked at it. There is always outside noise, so we just try to do what we do to try and win games on a consistent basis.”

Howe reflected on his team’s recent performance, emphasizing their improvement. “We know it’s been inconsistent this season; they’ve had good bits and not-so-good bits. I think generally the last few games our performance levels have definitely increased,” he said. “Initially, the results didn’t come, but the last couple of games, I think we’ve been rewarded for that upturn and now we have to make sure it stays.”

Looking ahead, Howe praised his squad’s collective effort, stating, “Everyone played a big part in that win today. It’s been a really good few days for us; it goes to show how quickly football can change—two big performances against two very good teams. Today was built on all of our qualities we’ve shown historically—heart, determination, desire, and quality as well. A good day for us.”