Manchester City host Newcastle in the Premier League fixture, which comes after Pep Guardiola’s team crashed out of the Champions League semi-finals after two nail-biting legs against Spanish giants, Real Madrid. 

Newcastle coach Eddie Howe, spoke ahead of the match, saying “we have to be much better”, and continued, “Attitude from everybody, from staff to players [is needed in the last three games]. We have to compete for everything and show that we are competitive in every moment.” 

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He also put out his plans for the remaining three fixtures, saying “We still want points and still want to climb the league. So that’s what I’m looking for in the last three games.” 

While City will be grappling with their CL knockout, they know they have a good chance at the PL title if they don’t drop points. Liverpool’s draw against Tottenham Hostpur eased the tight race between the two English clubs. 

Newcastle is also coming off a home defeat to Liverpool, which saw Jurgen Klopp’s Merseyside boys become the first team to defeat the Magpies at their home in 2022. Speaking of that match, Howe commented, “We weren’t at our best (against Liverpool), we weren’t at our top levels. But we were still in the game right until the end”, and continued, “We set our standards very high. I was slightly disappointed with the general performance.” 

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Guardiola, the Spanish mastermind, meanwhile said, echoing the club’s singular focus, “We’re not thinking about the title, we’re thinking about Newcastle. That’s enough to focus on. Then Wolves, then West Ham. It’s not necessary to listen to what people are saying we can achieve”. 

He also addressed City’s lack of wins in Europe, saying “If people say it’s a failure then I disagree. The people in the squad know how difficult it is. But they accept it. I’m not going to make a debate.”