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Eddie Howe saluted one of Newcastle’s best performances of the season after watching them beat Manchester United to end a gruelling week on a high. Four days after suffering late heartache in a 1-1 Champions League draw with Paris St Germain, having dispatched Premier League rivals Chelsea 4-1 before heading for France, the Magpies secured a 1-0 league victory over the men from Old Trafford at St James’ Park. Asked if that represented the perfect ending to a testing week, head coach Howe said: “Yes it is. I think that’s one of our best performances of the season, for me. “I thought we were very, very good on and off the ball and when you consider the week we’ve had and the difficult games we’ve had, the end of the game in Paris, what a response from the group of players.” Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute strike from Kieran Trippier’s cross ultimately secured the points on a night when Newcastle largely dominated without reward until his intervention. Having been robbed of victory by a contentious stoppage-time penalty in Paris, they were spared further pain when Harry Maguire inadvertently turned Antony’s shot past substitute goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, but from an offside position. Gordon has now scored in each of his last four league games on Tyneside and taken his tally for the season to six goals to reap the rewards of his hard work on the training pitch. Howe said: “He himself has really worked on that. “I’m really pleased because I thought he played really well at the start of the season, but every attacker needs to score, needs to have that feeling and that confidence that that brings. “It elevates your game, not just the goals, but he’s getting assists as well. He’s involved in match-winning moments. “I thought he played really well again today. It was a really good cross from Kieran, a good team move and a good finish.” The only disappointment for Howe was that goalkeeper Nick Pope, who has played such a key role in the club’s recent success, suffered a dislocated shoulder late in the game and may now need surgery. Asked how long he might be sidelined, the 46-year-old said: “It’s too early to say. He was in pain when the shoulder was out of its joint. It’s been put back in now and he feels much more comfortable. “We’ll seek specialist opinion, but it doesn’t look good.” It proved a difficult night for the visitors, who have now lost to the Magpies in their last three encounters and rarely looked like avoiding that fate until a late flurry. Manager Erik ten Hag said: “Today we have to say ‘credit to Newcastle’. After the start, where we could have scored with (Alejandro) Garnacho, they were better than us, they were more proactive. “We had to go back, we had to defend and we did that. We allowed them one goal, but at the end, we fought back, we had two good opportunities, but unluckily we could not take a point from here.” England international Marcus Rashford in particular cut a frustrated figure and was replaced by Rasmus Hojlund with 29 minutes remaining. Asked about Rashford’s form, Ten Hag said: “He works hard and he is investing a lot. He will get back, he will recover and he’s got all our support.” Read More Ding Junhui beats Judd Trump to set up UK final showdown with Ronnie O’Sullivan Pep Guardiola knows Man City fans will be behind team if ‘bad moments’ arrive Win ‘blows belief into Everton’ after points deduction – Sean Dyche Dwight McNeil fires Everton to morale-boosting win at Nottingham Forest Paul Heckingbottom stands by his work as Sheffield United lose again Neal Maupay makes the right impression on his manager

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Pep Guardiola has no doubt Manchester City’s fans will be there to lift the team if they ever hit a poor run. City supporters have seen little but success during Guardiola’s reign as manager, winning five Premier League titles and a glorious treble last season. Yet Guardiola recognises that run may one day come to an end and it is then the City manager hopes the fans, so used to being entertained, will be able to inspire them. The Spaniard said: “We want the fans to enjoy and have fun, have one hour and 30 minutes in good moments. That depends on us. When we play good, always they are there. “It’s just sometimes the situation is not going well. In that moment it’s not because the players don’t want it – because they’ve proved over how many years their consistency – but it is in that moment we need them. “Of course we won a lot and, in the future, maybe you have to understand in the mind that this is an exception. It’s not normal to win the treble, it’s not normal to win five Premier Leagues in six years. “You have to understand that – OK, continue to enjoy – but if the bad moments are coming this season and the next one and the next one, you have to be there. “And I’m pretty sure they’ll be there because it’s a club that has come from Maine Road and from being in mid-table, not fighting for the titles. They were there all the time. “I was not here but the people talk to me. So if it’s coming back down a little, ‘Come on, let’s go.’ Do what you have to do to come back there on top of the league and don’t be down for a long time.” I'm pretty sure they'll be there because it's a club that has come from Maine Road and from being in mid-table, not fighting for the titles. They were there all the time Pep Guardiola on City's fans Guardiola, however, is confident the current crop of players would not allow a slump to occur. He said: “The players are the most important thing, and I know they know it, otherwise what we have done cannot be possible. “The players always are there, even losing 0-2, still we run, still we fight.” Guardiola’s own powers of motivation are well known, although he has downplayed the significance of his sharp comments after last season’s home clash against Tottenham as he prepares to host the same opponents on Sunday. City suffered a dip in form in the early part of 2023 and needed to come from 2-0 down against Spurs to avoid a third successive loss. Afterwards, Guardiola labelled his side the “Happy Flowers” team, essentially accusing them of lacking concentration. Observers later cited it as a turning point in their treble-winning campaign. But Guardiola said: “That was my feeling in that moment. I had to say something. Because we won we can believe it (worked) but it is not the truth. Because we won (people say), ‘How brilliant was Pep?’ but we could do it again and it might not work.” Read More Win ‘blows belief into Everton’ after points deduction – Sean Dyche Dwight McNeil fires Everton to morale-boosting win at Nottingham Forest Paul Heckingbottom stands by his work as Sheffield United lose again Neal Maupay makes the right impression on his manager Mikel Arteta heaps praise on players as Arsenal pull four points clear at summit Will Jacks looks at positives after England central contract snub

Anthony Gordon’s sixth goal of the season handed Newcastle a sixth-successive Premier League victory at St James’ Park as Manchester United became their latest victims. The Magpies, who returned from Paris St Germain in midweek bitterly disappointed with a 1-1 Champions League draw, dominated for all but the final few minutes and perhaps should have secured the points in more emphatic fashion with Kieran Trippier seeing a first-half free-kick come back off the crossbar. However, Gordon’s 55th-minute finish – the fourth-successive home league game in which he has scored – proved sufficient to clinch a 1-0 win and send Eddie Howe’s side above the Red Devils in the table, although his joy was tempered by a potentially-serious injury to goalkeeper Nick Pope. Manchester United, who had thrown away a 3-1 lead at Galatasaray to draw 3-3 on Wednesday evening, created little of note – they saw a late goal ruled out after Antony’s shot had clipped Harry Maguire in an offside position – as their run of five wins in six league games came to an end in front of a crowd of 52,214. Under-fire goalkeeper Andre Onana and Diogo Dalot got themselves in a tangle as they attempted to deal with a Gordon cross, although opposite number Pope had to repel Alejandro Garnacho’s 11th-minute attempt with a well-placed foot after Bruno Fernandes’ superb pass had played him in behind Trippier. Garnacho became an increasing threat down the Magpies’ right as Manchester United started to impose themselves, but Luke Shaw had to block Alexander Isak’s 15th-minute effort after Trippier had fizzed the ball into his feet inside the penalty area. Onana saved from Miguel Almiron following a neat one-two between Joelinton and Trippier, while Guimaraes smashed an 18th-minute shot over from distance after Tino Livramento had surged forward down the left and cut the ball back. The visitors were creaking and Maguire had to be in the right place at the right time to deflect Isak’s goal-bound effort wide before Jamaal Lascelles headed over from the resulting corner. Playmaker Fernandes did his best to drag Erik ten Hag’s men into the game, but too often the men ahead of him were not equal to the task and they continued to look less than certain at the back with Isak firing wide 12 minutes before the break after Aaron Wan-Bissaka had headed Fabian Schar’s long ball straight to him. Almiron curled an attempt over the angle of post and crossbar after cutting inside Dalot from Trippier’s through-ball, but Onana enjoyed the kind of fortune which has eluded him in recent weeks when Trippier rattled the crossbar with a 39th-minute free-kick after Maguire had felled Schar 25 yards out. Livramento, whose scything run led to Isak’s goal at Paris St Germain, almost repeated the dose two minutes after the restart when he set up Almiron, but saw the Paraguay international’s shot half-blocked to allow Onana to save comfortably. The keeper was finally beaten seconds later when Guimaraes rolled the ball into Trippier’s path and he crossed low to the far post for Gordon to score. Schar whistled a shot from distance a foot over Onana’s crossbar as the home side looked to kill the game off, and Ten Hag responded by replacing Marcus Rashford and Martial with Antony and Rasmus Hojlund. Antony added vigour to a side in desperate need of inspiration, but to little real effect and Wan-Bissaka survived penalty appeals for handball after blocking Lewis Miley’s shot with 12 minutes remaining. Schar had to throw his body into the path of Sergio Reguilon’s well-struck 82nd-minute volley, although Pope’s evening ended in agony as he was led from the pitch having suffered an injury as he dived in anticipation behind the defender. Replacement Martin Dubravka was beaten with two minutes of normal time left on the clock, but an offside flag came to the tiring Magpies’ rescue and they safely negotiated nine minutes of stoppage-time to claim victory. Read More Pep Guardiola knows Man City fans will be behind team if ‘bad moments’ arrive Win ‘blows belief into Everton’ after points deduction – Sean Dyche Dwight McNeil fires Everton to morale-boosting win at Nottingham Forest Paul Heckingbottom stands by his work as Sheffield United lose again Neal Maupay makes the right impression on his manager Mikel Arteta heaps praise on players as Arsenal pull four points clear at summit

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Sean Dyche said Everton’s 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest has given the club and their fans a big lift after they were docked 10 points for breaching Premier League financial rules. Dwight McNeil struck the only goal in the second half at the City Ground, slamming home his first of the season following Jack Harrison’s far-post cross. It sealed Everton victory in their second match since being handed the punishment and a day after they submitted their formal appeal against the severity of it. Dyche said: “We spoke to the players. They were very open about it. They all agreed they were ready to take it on and they have done so far. “So to get that first win after that news is very pleasing. It blows belief into the fans, into the group, into the players because they still have to look at the league table at some point. “We still have to wait and see what the appeal will bring, so in the meantime we’ve got to get on with business like we are doing.” Everton’s third win in five league games lifted them to within two points of safety, having started the evening kick-off in bottom place after Burnley’s win against Sheffield United. “People are suggesting it’s a good time to get 10 points taken,” Dyche added. “Well if they are, I tell you what, I’ll do a deal. I’ll have their 10 points, they can have the ones we got taken off us and we’ll see where we all end up. “I don’t think it’s quite as simple as that, but the key for us is to not really worry about all the different conjecture, all the stories, all the noise and stay focused on the bit we can control and that’s our performances.” Forest have slipped to three straight league defeats and back-to-back home losses to crank up the pressure on boss Steve Cooper. His side have won just one of their last 10 league games, but they struck a post through substitute Felipe’s second-half effort and created several other chances. Cooper said: “The one real chance they’ve had, he’s taken it really well. The ones we’ve had, we’ve not shown enough of the quality you need at this level to score goals.” Cooper felt his side had a good case for a penalty when Ryan Yates went down under Abdoulaye Doucoure’s challenge from the corner which led to Felipe’s effort. He added: “The other real talking point is the difference in decision-making over penalties, with Doucoure on Yates compared to the one which was given against us last week. “I won’t hide behind the decision with the result – just like I didn’t last week – but if last week was a penalty, then it has to be one today. “We’ve had two very experienced referees in the last two games and they couldn’t be any further away from being consistent in those moments.” Read More Dwight McNeil fires Everton to morale-boosting win at Nottingham Forest Paul Heckingbottom stands by his work as Sheffield United lose again Neal Maupay makes the right impression on his manager Mikel Arteta heaps praise on players as Arsenal pull four points clear at summit Will Jacks looks at positives after England central contract snub Brentford beat Luton with strong second-half show

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