Eddie Howe’s bold £107.5m decision that unleashed Newcastle United against Man City

As Eddie Howe’s side licked their wounds from the trip to the capital last weekend, much of the attention turned to how they would react from that disappointment against the reigning champions. Their clash against AFC Wimbledon, one that could have allowed some fringe players minutes on the pitch, was also postponed in midweek, giving them an extra few days to reflect and prepare for the visit of City.

As pre-match preparations go, losing the services of Alexander Isak certainly would not have helped either as Howe sought to find a formula that would give them a chance against possibly the best team on the planet. And it was a bold quadruple change from Howe that earned them a point.

Out went Tino Livramento, Lloyd Kelly, Joe Willock and Isak to be replaced by Kieran Trippier, Lewis Hall, Sandro Tonali and Jacob Murphy. Whilst the latter was an enforced change, the other three were tactical moves that all paid dividends on Saturday.

Trippier’s inclusion brought a calming presence into the back line and with Murphy ahead of him, that right side were a real threat in attack, particularly in the first half. Hall on the other side gave them an overlapping option when Harvey Barnes tucked inside and, despite there being some concerns over the defensive side of his game, Hall was brilliant throughout Saturday with City’s wide men really struggling to get into the game and influence attacks.

With a clash against Wimbledon to come on Tuesday night, it’s likely that Howe will again rotate the defence with Kelly and Livramento possibly being restored to the starting lineup. However, Trippier and Hall have undoubtedly given their head coach something to ponder and it would be a surprise to not see them start at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Further up the pitch, Tonali was making his first Premier League start of the season and was able, for the first time in ten months, to demonstrate why there was such excitement over his move to St James’ Park. The City midfielders were not given a second to breathe when the Italian was near them with him leading a press that worked wonders throughout the game.

Again, Tonali may not feature on Tuesday if Howe opts to rotate, but after weeks of calls for him to be given the chance to start a league match, Tonali rewarded his head coach’s faith with a very solid performance.

Post-match, Pep Guardiola was full of praise for Howe and how the Magpies set themselves up to combat City’s strengths and whilst they had to settle for a share of the spoils, Howe should be given great credit for sealing that point. Last weekend was a low point in a season that, both on and off the field, was threatening to derail. But Saturday reminded everyone just what a force Newcastle United can be and how, particularly at St James’ Park, they will cause any team lots and lots of problems.