Newcastle United Eyeing Top Four Spot After Impressive Win

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe emphasizes the importance of moving forward and improving with the ball after their impressive win over Aston Villa.

Newcastle United secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, with Anthony Gordon scoring the opening goal in just the second minute. The match took a significant turn when Villa striker Jhon Durante was controversially sent off, leaving his team to face the remainder of the match with a numerical disadvantage. Alexander Isak, who has now scored 10 goals in as many league appearances, and Joelinton added further goals to seal the win for Newcastle.

Following a 4-2 defeat to Brentford on December 7th, which saw Newcastle slip to 12th place in the table, the team has staged an impressive recovery. When questioned about Newcastle's prospects of finishing in the top four, manager Eddie Howe expressed his ambitions while maintaining a cautious approach. “We're shooting for whatever we can shoot for,” Howe said. “We'll take small steps, we'll go game-by-game, but I'm really heartened by how the team is playing.”

Newcastle United's impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa has propelled them to fifth place in the table, leaving them just six points adrift of second-placed Chelsea. This resurgence brings back memories of last season, when the Magpies qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.

Manager Eddie Howe is keen to emphasize that his team must look to the future rather than dwelling on past successes. “I'd hope we've moved on from that team,” Howe stated. “You can never go back in time and replicate what that team was. That team was an outstanding side... But you can never go back. It's all about the future.” Howe acknowledged that the team has undergone changes, saying, “We've signed some new players, the dynamic is slightly different and for me, the evolution of the team always had to be that we wanted to be better with the ball, we wanted to control the game more with the ball.”

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe, 47, is encouraging his team to put past achievements behind them and focus on their future ambitions. Howe hopes that his current squad has mentally moved on from the team that finished fourth in the Premier League two seasons ago.

Newcastle extended their impressive run of form on Thursday, securing a convincing 3-0 victory over 10-man Aston Villa at St James' Park. This win marked the Magpies' fourth consecutive triumph in all competitions, demonstrating their growing momentum.