Eddie Howe makes 'very good' Newcastle United claim that will stun supporters after Sunderland defeat
Newcastle United lost 1-0 at Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon after a Nick Woltemade own goal.
Sunderland won the first Tyne-Wear derby in the Premier League in almost a decade as Newcastle United’s recent resurgence came to a crashing halt.
The Magpies went into the game having picked up 10 points from their last four league matches but came up against a Sunderland side unbeaten at the Stadium of Light in the league this season.
A cagey game of few chances unfolded with Sunderland taking the lead before even registering a shot on target. Moments into the second half, Nick Woltemade headed Nordi Mukiele’s cross into his own net.
Eddie Howe reacts to Newcastle United derby defeat
“It was not our finest game,” Howe told Sky Sports. “The effort was there but the quality was not. It was a game of really few chances decided by a freak goal and we could not create the opening we wanted.
"The goal came at a really bad time and was bad in its construction - Nick has not meant to do it but it has decided the game. I thought we had defended pretty well.
"The quality was missing in both halves, we were disappointed with our creative output. There was more intensity and more bravery on the ball after the changes without creating the chances and their goalkeeper was not overworked.
"We know how much this means and all the focus on today was huge. We tried to deliver our best performance and we haven't done that. We feel disappointed in ourselves and that we left something on the pitch and that's a horrible feeling."
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Eddie Howe makes ‘very good’ claim about Newcastle United’s performance
Newcastle have suffered some poor defeats already this season but this one, given local pride was at stake, will undoubtedly sting the most.
But Howe refrained from going nuclear in his assment of his side’s performance.
“We've got to be careful that we don't jump to sort of attach things to the performance,” Howe said.
“We've lost a game and we know we haven't played well enough but I don't think it was the level of [bad] performance of Brentford and West Ham.
“I don't think it was even near those levels. I think it wasn't our finest but there was a lot of good to take depending on which side of the game we're looking at.
“I can say off the ball I thought we were very good. So no, I don't think it was that.”
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Eddie Howe issues NUFC apology
The Magpies barely tested the Sunderland goal throughout the match and Howe was quick to issue an apology afterwards.
“We're so disappointed for our supporters and sorry for the performance really,” Howe added. “In a sense of the lack of goal-and-out-of-action, the lack of clinical attacking, which we've tried to pride ourselves on over recent seasons, it wasn't there today.