Saturday afternoon provided another successful return for Newcastle Utd as they came away with all three points in the proverbial game of two halves.
 
Craven Cottage has proved to be a happy hunting ground for the Magpies in recent times and those happy times continued with a Bruno Guimarães goal separating the two teams and ensuring that his and the Magpies hopes of European football remain alive heading into the last seven games of the season.
 
But it could have been oh so different if Fulham been able to exploit the slick and decisive football they displayed in the first 30 minutes and in doing so taken some of the chances they created.
 
Willian, Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Muniz all had an opportunity to put their side ahead as Newcastle simply couldn’t get into the game. Top scorer Muniz in particular should have done better when presented with a clear chance, but he fired his effort straight at Magpies keeper Martin Dubravka. And the best chance of all fell to Paulinho who fired wide from six yards.
 
The first thirty minutes were one that Eddie Howe will want to forget as his team simply couldn’t get into the game but as Fulham failed to take advantage of their possession Newcastle started to warm to the game. In Anthony Gordon Newcastle have a player who is always looking to get involved and his enthusiasm certainly rubs  off on his teammates; and encouraged by Howe and his assistant Jason Tindall on the touchline he started to be more influential and came close to opening the scoring with a 20-yard drive that whistled inches wide.
 
However, the constant this season is that Howe would be forced to make changes and Howe had to do just that on 40 minutes when Joe Willock limped out to be replaced by Elliott Anderson. And with Martin Dubravka being involved in two incidents that required him to receive treatment from Newcastle’s over worked physios Howe must have been wondering if the coach driver might have run over a black cat on the way to the ground such is our ill luck on the injury front. 
Thankfully Dubravka was able to continue, and Karius returned to his seat in the dugout having spent an extended period warming up on the touchline.
 
With those first 30 minutes fresh in his mind there is no question that Howe let his team know exactly what he thought about their performance so far and whether a half time rollicking was delivered, one was certainly in order, and it was a different Newcastle team that stepped out in the second half and started to take control.
 
Newcastle thought they had taken the lead when Fabien Schar fired home from an acute angle only for the VAR official to insist the referee conduct a review as they scoured the playback tape for any kind of infringement and lo and behold, they spotted an apparent push by Dan Burn in the build up to Schar’s well taken effort. 
 
But there was nothing wrong with Newcastle’s build up or finish on 81 minutes, when Guimarães finished off a fine move involving Anderson and substitute Harvey Barnes, who replaced Jacob Murphy in the 65th minute.
 
In Guimarães Newcastle have a constantly sparkling diamond and his goal capped another fine performance on his 100th outing for the magpies and it was fitting that the Brazilian marked the occasion with a goal and the player of the match award.
 
As they ran down the clock the Lewis Hall was replaced by Paul Dummett for what looked more like fatigue than injury while Matt Ritchie came on to help run down the clock further; something that Fulham boss Marco Silva was not happy about, but the travelling Newcastle supporters were all behind!
 
The game saw bookings for Emil Krafth and Sean Longstaff but not Guimarães who now only has to see out next weekends fixture against Tottenham without receiving a yellow card to avoid a two-match ban.
 
Speaking after the game Eddie Howe described the victory as one of our “best wins of the season.”
 
He gave a short update on the injury sustained by Joe Willock, saying: “Joe’s still feeling his achilles. He has been feeling this problem for some time now. We hoped that he would steadily improve. Today was a down day for him and he did not look right and unable to continue”.
 
“I don’t think he was in huge pain, but it was enough for him to not be at his very best. So, we made a change, and I thought Elliot Anderson did well. Harvey Barnes did well and the subs who came on and did well at the end. It was a huge performance from those who were fit.”
 
Howe also addressed the message he tried to get through to his players while Dubravka was down receiving treatment and in doing so gave an indication of exactly how his half time must have gone, saying: “I can’t repeat what I said but we just needed to wake up. In this game, in the Premier League, the ruthlessness of teams, if you are off it you will be punished. We were lucky to still be in the game at half time”.

It’s a trip down the Old Kings Road for Newcastle Utd on Saturday afternoon as they make their second visit of 2024 to Craven Cottage; the first being their fourth round cup win back in January where they triumphed 2:0 courtesy of goals from Sean Longstaff and Dan Burn.
 
Newcastle also triumphed 3:0 in the home league win, with Burn once again on the scoresheet against his former club along with Miguel Almiron and Lewis Miley. However, while Burn is in the travelling squad, Miley and Almiron miss out through injury as does Tino Livramento who has joined a long list of absentees.
 
On the plus side, Anthony Gordon returns to the squad after missing out against Everton due to suspension.
And speaking to the press ahead of heading down to London Howe had some positive news on Lewis Hall who didn’t complete 90 minutes on Tuesday Night. Hall’s withdrawal was down to fatigue rather than a specific injury and Howe said: “We hope he's fine and he'll be back training today. We anticipate he'll be part of that group”.
 
Howe also confirmed the absence of Livramento and Almiron, stating: “Tino's was quite obvious when you looked back at the footage. Strange really as the ball hits his ankle before it hits the floor. Thankfully it's not as serious as it could have been. He could be back quite quickly.
Miggy tweaked his knee slightly. Again, not a serious injury but enough to keep him out”.
 
Pressed on the loss of club captain Jamaal Lascelles Howe said: it’s a “Big blow for us and Jamaal. He's been excellent this season. Behind the scenes he's been a real leader for our team. I feel for him because he's been in really good shape this year and looked really good. He's came together with Antonio and unfortunately ended up with a serious injury.
Initially it's always difficult to accept. One minute you're in the team, the next you've got a long period of rehab. He'll have low moments during that long stretch, but he's got a good team of people around him and Sven who is in a very similar position”.
 
And Howe had high praise for Dan Burn, who replaced Lascelles in central defence and wore the captain’s armband in his and Trippier’s absence. “I liked a lot about his performance against Everton. Aerially he's a big presence but he did well against two tough opponents at Everton. Dan's leadership is second to none and when he comes inside he can help the team vocally”.
 
Howe also had high praise for his top scorer Alexander Isak saying: When you’ve got any of your attacking players in the form he’s in I think it transforms through the team. He’s in a really good place and it’s great to see him in the type of form he is in. He deserves a lot of credit for how he’s played this year. He’s an exceptional talent and I hope he can get even better from this point - I think there’s more to come from him”.
 
Fulham manager Marco Silva meanwhile should have a fully fit squad to choose from.
 
As stats go, Fulham have won only one of the last 10 meetings between the two clubs and failed to score in seven of those games while Fulham manager Marco Silva has won only one of his seven matches as a manager against Newcastle in all competitions, losing each of the past five.
 
However, Fulham have nine top-flight home victories from their 15 home games this season, together with one draw and five defeats. Newcastle Utd meanwhile have only won away from home three times this season from the 14 Premier League away games played. That is three times as many defeats as they suffered in the whole of last season.
 
The match referee is Sam Allison, and his assistants are Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh. The Fourth official is Simon Hooper, and the VAR is under the control of Jarred Gillett assisted by Darren Cann.
 
On a side note, Fulham’s long serving Club Chaplain, Gary Piper, will be presented with the Forever Fulham award at half-time.

On a dreary rain sodden night on Tyneside Newcastle Utd failed to hold out for the three points  having led since the 15th minute through Alexander Isak’s nineteenth goal of the season as Everton came from behind to snatch a late equaliser
 
The opening goal came in the fifteenth minute courtesy of a fine pass by Harvey Barnes who was starting for the suspended Anthony Gordon and while the pass set up the goal, the Swedish International still had a bit of work to do, before gliding past the challenge of Jarred Branthwaite and placing the ball past the diving Jordan Pickford and into the bottom corner.
 
And it could have been more, but for England keeper and pantomime villain Pickford making two excellent saves – the first to block a fine Jacob Murphy's volley and then tipping over a powerful effort from Isak; having blocked an earlier effort by Barnes prior to Isak’s opener.
 
Pickford’s every touch brought up a cacophony of booing from all corners of the ground as the former Sunderland keeper swaggered and strutted like a demented peacock whenever the opportunity presented itself; be it taking free kicks from the halfway line or gyrating an exaggerated pose at corners, goal kicks or simply whenever it took his fancy. The only thing missing from his staged performance was him sitting astride the crossbar but no doubt the buffoon is working on that for future appearances in front of the Gallowgate!
 
The second half started very much like the first and after substitute James Garner saw his effort come back off the inside of the post  hitting for Everton, Newcastle thought they had their second, when a quickly taken free-kick released Isak, who crossed for Dan Burn to convert, only for the goal to be ruled out after a long and laborious wait for the VAR review to be completed; resulting in Isak being deemed to be narrowly offside.
 
Newcastle continued to press, only to see Isak have an effort cleared off the line and Guimarães have a great effort tipped over before Everton’s lifeline came in the 86th minute when having ignored Everton’s claim for a penalty referee Harrington allowed a long passage of play to continue before the VAR official signaled that he needed to review his on pitch decision and take a look at the pitch side monitor. In going so, Harrington decided that Dummett, on as a late substitute for Lewis Hall was deemed to have impeded Ashley Young courtesy of a stray arm around Young’s neck before the pair fell to the ground. The penalty was given, and Calvert Lewin fired home for Everton to bring the scores level.
 
With nine minutes of time added on Newcastle searched in vain for a winner, while Everton resorted to tactics more akin to WWE on more than one occasion as a combination of throws, pulls, trips and physical blocks impeded Newcastle’s ever more frustrated team.
 
The penalty area in such situations seems to be deemed a no-go zone for referees to see anything untoward happening as time and time again shirt pulling and barging take precedence and challenges which if made outside the penalty would almost certainly result in a free kick, seem to be given impunity from any scrutiny. Which leads you to question what aspect of the game the VAR official sees the need to get involved in and what do they consider part and parcel of the game. Perhaps someone needs to put that question to Howard Webb – are you listening Michael Owen?
 
Some will view this game as a missed opportunity for Newcastle to take all three points but given the injuries and suspensions this squad is carrying; it would be harsh to criticise the team that Howe put out for their effort.
 
Evertonians meanwhile will be delighted with the point and while this was their 13th successive Premier League match without a win, having not won in the league since a 2-0 victory at Burnley on 16 December they will be hoping that this hard earned one point can become four when they face off against fellow strugglers Burnley at Goodison Park in the return fixture on Saturday afternoon,
 

Eddie Howe will need to hold a roll call to establish exactly who he has fit enough to cross the line tonight to face Everton at St James’ Park following the extraordinary events that occurred on Saturday afternoon.
 
Already without Pope, Wilson, Joelinton, Miley, Botman, Tripper, Targett and the suspended Sandro Tonali; Saturday’s encounter saw Jamaal Lascelles limp off with a season ending ACL injury while Tino Livramento was withdrawn with what looked a serious ankle problem and Miguel Almiron who came on as a second half substitute before being withdrawn after only 11 minutes with a knee problem. 
 
Adding to Howe’s problems he is without Anthony Gordon who is suspended for one match following his late dismissal for two yellow cards.
 
Everton boss Sean Dyche meanwhile hopes to have Vitalii Mykolenko back after illness. However, Arnaut Danjuma and Lewis Dobbin again look set to miss out through injury.

Statistically wise Newcastle aim for a fourth successive home league win against Everton. After a run of just two victories in 15 league fixtures versus the Toffees, Newcastle have won five of the last seven. However, Everton are looking to complete their first league double over Newcastle since 2017-18.

However, Everton are on a dismal run of 12 Premier League matches without a win, which equals their club record. And ironically their only win in their last eight midweek Premier League matches was their 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Adding to their poor run, the Toffees have only scored twice in their previous seven away matches in all competitions.

Bruno Guimarães remains on the suspension tightrope, being one booking away from a two-match suspension; s position he has been in since mid-January, when he received his ninth booking in the fixture against Manchester City. A booking tonight would see the Brazilian miss the games against Fulham and Tottenham; but if he can see out all three games without picking up a yellow then he will escape punishment. 
​
In doing so that would be a run of 12 consecutive games without a booking: a miracle considering the combative nature of his game.

Speaking to the media ahead of tonight’s encounter Howe stated that Kieran Trippier could return to face Everton, saying "there is no problem with him and he is working his way back to fitness".
However, he did say that Tino Livramento, Emil Krafth and Miguel Almiron limping off the pitch on Saturday "is a huge concern". 

And on his disappointment at losing Anthony Gordon's suspension Howe said: "It’s a big blow. Naturally, from his perspective he will be absolutely devastated at missing the Everton game. For us we are going to miss a player that has been outstanding and consistent."

On the positive side however, he said the in-form wingers ban might "be a blessing in disguise long-term" because it "gives him a little rest" ahead of the run-in.

The referee for tonight’s encounter is Tony Harrington and his assistants are Scott Ledger and Sian Massey-Ellis. 
The Fourth official is Anthony Taylor, and the VAR officials are Michael Salisbury and Natalie Aspinall.

A quick reminder that tonight’s kick off is 7:30pm and the game is live on TNT Sports.

A brace from substitute Harvey Barnes capped off a remarkable comeback for Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon as they came from behind to beat West Ham United 4:3.
 
With Newcastle 3:1 down having led 1:0 after only 2 minutes courtesy of an Alexander Isak penalty following a foul on Anthony Gordon the revival started with the same combination of foul on Gordon and penalty dispatched by Isak although this one took over three minutes to be given as the VAR officials debated the connection of boot to calf courtesy of Kalvin Phillips as Gordon placed his leg between the committed Phillips and the ball. 
 
But things looked so different when first Antonio and then Kudos had put West Ham into a 2:1 lead before Bowen extended that lead straight after half time when he latched on to a clearance from a Newcastle corner and with the opposition committed, he was free to run on to a nice through ball by the ever-dangerous Kudos and slot the ball past a despairing Dubravka.
 
The disarray in the Newcastle defence was there for all to see from the 15th minute when Jamaal Lascelles went down clutching his knee and after lengthy treatment and an attempt to resume, Eddie Howe was forced to replace his captain and in doing so completely reshuffled his back four; with Emil Krafth coming on to take the right back berth, Tino Livramento switching the left back and Dan Burn moving to the left sided centreback slot and Fabien Schar moving over his favoured right side.
 
That disarray first saw Krafth inadvertently playing Antonio onside following a sublime through ball by Paqueta for west Ham’s first goal before Schar went down clutching his face following a clumsy challenge and while he lay there anticipating the referee’s reaction to stop the game while he received treatment; Paqueta took a quick free kick which the referee allowed, and an unprepared Newcastle found themselves two down as Kudos slotted home past Dubravka.
 
Referee Rob Jones was on the receiving end of the home crowd’s fury but really Newcastle had only themselves to blame with Willock, Longstaff and Guimarães seemingly having a collective bout of amnesia while their defensive colleagues stood watching their prostrate colleague lying on the turf.
 
At 3:1 Eddie Howe was forced to make changes in the hope of trying to bring some energy into his flagging and lacklustre team and hi did so with a triple substitution, bringing on Miguel Almiron, Elliot Anderson, and Lewis Hall for Krafth, Willock and the injured Livramento, only for Almiron to last ten minutes before he too went down clutching his knee; forcing Howe to bring on Barnes.
 
With Newcastle now chasing the game Isak’s second penalty on 73 minutes kick started the revival and from that moment there looked like only one outcome as Newcastle took command, backing by a cacophony of Geordie voices as they mounted wave after wave of attacks on the West Ham back line with the Hammers unable to hold on to the ball with any meaningful effect. 
 
Barnes first goal on 83 minutes was set up from a beautiful through ball by Isak whose quick turn and pass split the now ponderous West Ham defensive line and Barnes raced on to fire the ball past substitute goalkeeper Fabianski who had replaced the injured areola at half time. 
 
And the winner came in the 90th minute after some fine hold up play on the left by Gordon before he played the ball inside to Barnes. The former Leicester City man still had a lot to do but with a simple sidestep he created enough time and space to measure his shot before firing past Fabianski and into the bottom corner. St James’ Park erupted like only St James’ Park can in moments like this as Barnes raced to the corner before being swamped by teammates and fans alike!
 
It was a sweet moment for a player who has struggled through injury to make an impact since joining the club in the summer.
 
And despite all that had gone before there was still time for Anthony Gordon to be sent off for a second yellow card having tapped the ball away after conceding a free kick, while Eddie Howe received the first yellow card of his managerial career for getting carried away in the moment and celebrating the winner in a manner that the fourth official deemed inappropriate.
 
Newcastle saw out the final eight minutes of added on time without West Ham threatening an equaliser and took all three points on a crazy afternoon that became even crazier when Biffa at the wonderful nufc.com informed all that this comeback from 3:1 down to win 4:3 mirrored that of another famous comeback in 1997 against Leicester City with the final three goals also coming in the 77th, 83rd and 90th minutes courtesy of an Alan Shearer hattrick. Newcastle also led 1:0 in that game through Robbie Elliott, who scored on three minutes.
 
Speaking after the match to BBC’s match of the Day, Harvey Barnes said "They are the moments I have missed so much.
"For me, I miss that feeling of being out there, and when I am I want to make up for lost time, and today was a great step forward with that.
"You can't really describe those feelings sometimes, so late on in the game, and then after that it was just hoping we can hold on to the result and get the three points and we did that."
While Eddie Howe had this to say about his two-goal match winner: "He is an incredible player. We have missed him this season and he would have given us quality wherever he played. He is a goalscorer and they are so valuable, and his two finishes today were of the highest quality. Of course, the last one was memorable and will always be remembered - and what a finish it was. That's the quality he has."
 

Newcastle Utd return to Premier League action on Saturday lunchtime when they face West Ham Utd in the tv enforced 12.30pm kick off fixture.
 
The International break has been one of mixed feelings on Tyneside with Lewis Miley joining the injured list after returning early from the England U20 group with a reported back problem.  
 
Coupled with the news that Sven Botman has undergone an operation to repair his torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament and reports that Bruno Guimarães was withdrawn at half time from Brazil’s midweek fixture with a thigh strain, Eddie Howe must be wondering when his luck will change.
 
Guimarães is expected to start on Saturday but Sandro Tonali, Nick Pope, Callum Wilson, Joelinton and Sven Botman are all out. 
 
On the positive side Howe is hopeful that he will have Harvey Barnes, Kieran Trippier and Tino Livramento back in his squad ahead of three games in eight days with Everton coming to St James’ Park on Tuesday, before Howe takes his team to Craven Cottage to face Fulham next Saturday.
 
 
At his press conference on Friday morning Howe laid out the importance he places on his squad seeing out the season in style, with European places up for grabs for a top eight finish this season, which makes the next three fixtures doubly important as the chase for points continues.
 
“With these 10 games, it is an opportunity for us to finish the season strong. We are looking for consistency in results. We are focused on building and finding some positive momentum”.
 
Howe also attempted to clear up the issue surrounding Botman’s injury and the fact that the player initially suffered the injury back in September but chose not to rectify the problem through surgery but instead chose to undertake a period of non-surgical rehab saying “We sought specialist opinion on that injury and there were conflicting reports coming back on what he should do next. Ultimately, our medical team advised him to have surgery. He wanted to carry on playing and we're always trying to guide the players, but ultimately, it's their bodies and they have to make the final decision. Unfortunately, he succumbed to the injury eventually”.
 
Whether Botman “succumbed to the injury eventually” or was forced to face up to the inevitable is now last weeks news. What is a fact is that the player is facing a nine-to-twelve-month layoff; something that neither player nor club can afford.
 
Howe also addressed the situation surrounding Sandro Tonali following the news that the FA have now charged the player with a further set of alleged betting breaches.
 
“The news that there was an FA charge, that illness didn't stop when he moved to England. That illness was there, and people should look it that way - not let's throw the book at him and punish him even further because I don't think that gets to the root of the problem. We need to protect all our players. This is something that's open to everybody and becoming a bigger problem in society. This isn't just a problem for Sandro”.
 
West Ham meanwhile will be without the suspended Edson Alverez while Maxwel Cornet, Mohammed Kudus, Nayef Aguerd and Lucas Paqueta are all rated as doubtful.
 
The match Referee is Rob Jones, and his Assistants are Ian Hussin and Wade Smith. The Fourth official is Darren Bond while the VAR Hut is manned by David Coote and his Assistant VAR official Eddie Smart.
 

Newcastle United returned to winning ways at a rain-soaked St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon to leave a well drilled Wolverhampton Wanderers well and truly out in the cold as the Magpies ran out 3:0 winners.
 
First half goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon looked to be it, until substitute Tino Livramento, on for the injured Kieran Trippier scoring his first goal for the club when he latched on to a sublime 40-yard pass from Fabien Schar before beating two defenders and somehow slotting the ball past a despairing Dan Bentley in the Wolves goal.
 
Three points, a first home league win in five attempts and a clean sheet – their first in two and a half months – will have delighted Eddie Howe as much as it did the home supporters, who once again packed out the ground: giving their team rousing support in difficult conditions.
 
But all could have been different but for a fine display by Martin Dubravka who followed on from his penalty saving display in mid-week by keeping out efforts by first Nathan Fraser and then Pablo Sarabia before holding on to Jeanricner Bellegarde's goal bound header moments later.
 
The man of the match award went to Anthony Gordon, but it could have easily gone to his teammate Bruno Guimarães who once again defied the odds on picking up a booking to put in one of his trademark performances as the orchestrator in chief in the Magpies midfield.
 
Isak’s goal on 14 minutes came from a fine run from Gordon after Schar had broken up a Wolves attack and immediately send Gordon free on the left wing. With Guimarães racing forward in support Gordon the ball to the Brazilian whose shot deflected into the path of Isak who nodded into an empty net from 5 yards.
 
And it was 2:0 on 33 minutes when Murphy’s fine cross from the right left the Wolves defenders floundering as keeper Jose Sa and Max Kilman failed to deal with both the ball and the conditions, leaving Gordon the simple task of slotting the ball home for his 9th goal of the season. Sa was injured as he scrambled to intercept the ball and was replaced at half time by Bentley.
 
Defeat ended a run of six wins from nine league games for Gary O’Neill’s team while for Eddie Howe his team looked more like the side that secured Champions League football for the first time in 20 years last term
 

Newcastle Utd returns to league action on Saturday with the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers to St James’ Park having overcome what proved to be a difficult FA Cup fifth round tie at Blackburn Rovers which they scraped through on penalties, after the sides saw out a 1:1 draw on Tuesday evening.
 
While Blackburn gave a good account of themselves over the 120 minutes of open play, Howe’s magpies struggled against their lower league opponents and will need to show a lot more resolve against a Wolves team that has won six of their last nine premier league games and are unbeaten on their travels in their last six away games.
 
Newcastle meanwhile are looking for their first home win since before Christmas having drawn two and lost two at their once impregnable home. 
 
Both clubs are hoping to reach their own personal goalscoring landmarks tomorrow with Newcastle one goal away from reaching 1500 premier league goals while Wolves sit on 399.
 
Sven Botman was rested for the midweek cup tie and should be back in contention while Joe Willock is pushing for a starting place. Elliott Anderson is another long-term absentee hoping to stake a place but may have to settle for a place on the bench following his cameo last few minutes in midweek that saw him brought on for Lewis Miley in a tactical switch as the game looked to be heading for the inevitable penalty shoot-out.
 
Having Anderson back is a huge plus for Howe as it gives him options that he previously has lacked when selecting his starting 11 after what has been a frustrating and difficult layoff for the player. 
 
And speaking at his press conference Howe had this to say about Anderson’s injury and rehab. “It wasn't quick from our side or from Elliot's. It's been hugely frustrating for him that he hasn't been able to kick on sooner and return to training sooner. It's hugely frustrating when you can't run. He had to be very careful, and we had to be careful with him.
The last stage of his injury has been quick, and we were very keen to get him on with penalties in mind. We see him every day practicing penalties and he executes them very well. Still, he had to come in cold and have the composure to execute and he did”.
 
“He is technically fit but maybe not in the condition we need him to be to play regularly. We have to nurse him back and look after him.
He's been a huge miss for us because of his versatility. When you miss him and Joelinton at the same time, a lot of the versatility in the squad goes”.
 
However, the game has come too early for Matt Targett, who continues his rehab with Howe emphasizing the need for Targett to concentrate on his fitness before he comes into contention. “Matty might need a bit more time to get back, given his hamstring injury, but he is training now. To get back to their absolute best, I think you need that period of training behind you”.
 
All signs are that Alexander Isak has come through his last two outings without any problems; all be it he only managed 60 minutes in each, and Howe will be hoping to name his only striker in his starting eleven.
 
But whatever the line-up, the message from Howe is clear: “We can’t drop too many points, whether it is home or away. We know we are running out of chances; we have to start Saturday. There is no easy game in the Premier League. I think we have great character within the squad and confidence can be difficult to find but we are hopeful of getting back to our best levels. We have to start winning consistently”. Well. Sort of clear.
I bet many would have loved a sports teacher like Eddie!
 
Match Referee is Tim Robinson. Assistants: Eddie Smart and James Mainwaring while Fourth official is Darren Bond. VAR is being overseen by David Coote. And his Assistant Dan Robathan.

It was a somewhat philosophical Eddie Howe that met the press ahead of Tuesday’s FA Cup Fifth Round tie away to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.
 
Still smarting after the manner of the performance served up by his team in Saturday’s humbling at the Emirates, Howe addressed how he felt coming off the back of such a defeat, saying; My initial analysis was very similar to how I feel now. We need to do better in lots of different areas. Normally we do. This was a difficult day for us.
With the other performances there's been a reason for it where we could work out where it came from. Pre-match I thought we'd put in a really good performance. We'd trained well and the plan was right but for whatever reason, every aspect of our game was off.”
 
And indeed, it was as few of the starting eleven of subs used came away with any credit in the bank save for his third-choice keeper Loris Karius who, despite conceding four goals, could not really be faulted for his overall performance; having been called in after Martin Dubravka was taken ill on Friday. Karius was making only his second appearance for the Magpies in 12 months; his last appearance coming in last season’s Carabao Cup final.
 
Howe takes his squad to Ewood Park with doubts lingering over the fitness of Dubravka and Sven Botman, whose recent performances have led to questions over whether there are any lingering injury fears following his surprise return to action so soon after suffering an ACL injury.
 
Speaking directly about Botman Howe said: “He had a very serious knee injury. He's came back to fitness, and I think he's improved with each game, but I think he's still working back to his very best levels. With his injury, we're monitoring it and we're hoping he's able to adapt to Premier League football. It was a very significant knee injury.”
 
“To play PL football, you have to be at your peak physical condition. He's fit to play but it was a significant injury so hopefully with a couple more weeks he'll be back to his best.”
 
“There should be no focus on Sven, the focus should be on the team. There was no one individual that let us down, we all weren't at our best against Arsenal. When you're not at your best against the very best sides, you get punished.”
 
Dubravka meanwhile remains doubtful and had little to say other than ‘We hope that he's improved and hope he's available but at this stage we're not sure.”
 
Another of our long-term absentees Joe Willock returned to first team action on Saturday evening but whether Howe will give him a start against Rovers remains to be seen. Asked specifically Howe’s response was guarded, saying; “it's a difficult one. I'll discuss at length with him. He's done a lot of work behind the scenes to get himself into this position.”
“The first time he came back and scored against Manchester United, we thought that was the moment he was going to have a huge say in our season. Unfortunately, we lost him again. I don't want to speak too soon but he made a really great return, a goalscoring return, and hopefully that's just the start.”
 
Other long term absentees Elliott Anderson and Matt Targett are now back in training, but this game comes too soon to be considered for selection. Nick Pope and Joelinton remain out with no dates set for their return. 
 
The FA Cup is Newcastle Utd’s last shout at silverware this season and this fixtures importance has not bypassed Howe. 
 
“It's a huge game for us. We're absolutely committed to the FA Cup to do well and have been all season. We've had two difficult games away from home to get to this stage and now another one. We've been looking forward to this game, so we know how important it is.”
 
Rovers meanwhile go into the tie with a new manager in John Eustace who replaced former magpie Jon Dahl Thomasson at the helm.
Eustace has overseen one defeat and three draws in is four games since taking over and while championship survival remains a priority, Eustace has noted that the team have a responsibility towards the supporters to do well in the cup.
"Blackburn Rovers have won the cup six times and it's a competition we want to take very seriously. It's another game where we could showcase ourselves and see where it takes us. It's a really exciting game, great for the fans and the players to be up against some of the top players in Europe.
 
"There's no pressure on us, so we want to go out and express ourselves and see where it takes us. Performances are improving since we came in, and we're on a good run at the moment, playing some good stuff." 
 
Competition rules dictate that the result will be settled on the night, with no replays in place for this round of the cup, therefore penalties will decide who goes into the hat for the sixth round should the teams be level after extra time; with the winners allocated ball No1.
 
Match referee is Jarred Gillett. His Assistants are Darren Cann and Wade Smith
And Fourth official is Stephen Martin. VAR is NOT in operation for this fixture.
 
KO is 7.45pm UK time. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Newcastle Utd came away from The Emirates with exactly what they deserved after putting in a performance that lacked everything that Arsenal displayed on a night to forget. 
 
From minute one to ninety, Arsenal totally dominated in every aspect of the game as they went about their business in a fashion that exemplified their position as title contenders while Newcastle failed to get possession of the ball, never mind out of first gear.
 
Having faced criticism for their performance in midweek when they floundered against Porto in their Champions league tie; Arsenal responded with a performance of high intensity from start to finish that Newcastle simply couldn’t match. 
There was an inevitability about where the points were heading when Sven Botman put the ball into his own net on 18 minutes after Gabriel’s header was saved well by Karius only for it to rebound off Botman as Livramento failed to clear his lines.
That inevitability was compounded on 24 minutes when Newcastle’s defence was again found wanting as Kai Havertz slotted home after some sloppy defending by Fabien Schar.
 
52 minutes and the game was over as a contest when Saka turned Livramento inside out once again before firing his shot across goal and seeing the ball nestle into the bottom corner having gone past at least four statuesque Newcastle defenders in the process.
 
Newcastle simply had no answer to Arsenal’s flowing football and while they did have a short period of possession that resulted in half chances for Alexander Isak and it was no surprise when the ball was once again sitting in the back of Karlus’s goal courtesy of a deflection following a corner dropped into the six yard box by Declan Rice. The goal was first attributed to Lewis Miley but that was soon overruled and awarded to Jakub Kiwior.
 
What did come as a surprise however was Newcastle’s consolation goal on 84 minutes when Joe Willock was on the end of a fine move involving Gordon, the overlapping Dan Burn with the late arriving Willock producing a looping header that flew past Raya and into the far corner.
 
For Michel Arteta it was smiles all round when he spoke to TNT Sports after the final whistle. "Everything was good. The way we started, the aggression, the positivity that we showed in our play from the beginning, the team did not want to stop. They kept going for goals. Today the atmosphere was phenomenal to play against a really really good opponent, so I'm really pleased.”
 
For Eddie Howe however this was as humiliating an evening as he has faced during his tenure at Newcastle, and he must now respond by getting a performance out of his squad when they face Blackburn Rovers in their FA Cup fifth round tie at Ewood Park on Tuesday evening if their season is not to peter out under a chorus of what ifs and ah but’s!
 
Speaking after the game Howe said "They played well, we played poorly. We're very honest with ourselves, the first 45 minutes was not good enough. We were second best and didn't react well under pressure. Sometimes you go away and you're under pressure, but we had to be stronger, withstand the pressure and it led to a disappointing 45 minutes. We can't take too many positives from today.” 
 
“From 45 to when they scored their third goal, we were good and the better team, but the goal kills the game. If we scored the next goal we're back in the game and anything can happen. But we didn't we and conceding the third summed up our recent weeks - we haven't been good enough defensively."
 
For the record perhaps Eddie might like to reflect on the fact that the period in question from 45 minutes until Arsenal scored their third goal was seven; yes, seven minutes.  
 
And if Eddie genuinely thinks that if we scored during that seven minutes the game might have become a bit of a contest then we must question what game he was watching as his team produced nothing of any significance in either that seven minute spell or the other 83 minutes plus time added on, to show that they could compete with the pace, energy or intensity that Arsenal displayed. Humiliated at the back, outpaced and outplayed in midfield and lacking any form of cutting edge upfront sums up their performance.
 
What Eddie also needs to analyse is why we played badly. What was it about his chosen 11 that collectively resulted in such a flat ‘chasing shadows’ performance. Why did Arsenal find it so easy to break through his midfield five with such ease. Why were they incapable of breaking up Arsenal’s play; why did they fail in tracking, marking, tackling, and passing. Why did his defensive unit seem so disorganised that they were incapable of completing the basics and put in a performance that made them appear that they had collectively just met for the first time on the bus on the way to the ground. 
 
He also needs to sit with his backroom team of coaches and analysts and question why his team seemed so unprepared and struggled so badly to handle Arsenal’s set piece threat; particularly as prior to last night’s game Arsenal had scored 11 goals from corners this season. 
A simple piece of research on google would have identified to Howe that Arsenal packs the six-yard box at corners more than any other team in the league; thus, causing disruption for the keeper and his fellow defenders. Their preference is generally the in-swinging corner. Cue Arsenals first and fourth goals. 
 
After such an abject performance all round it would be easy to put this down as simply a bad day at the office. Whether that assessment will wash in the boardroom however is another matter that Howe may soon be forced to grapple with.