Eddie Howe says his side should not feel burdened by expectations as Newcastle take on Arsenal

Eddie Howe says Newcastle will return to the scene of his first match in the dugout at Arsenal as a team transformed.

It was in November of last year that Howe, having missed his planned debut against Brentford because of Covid-19, took charge of the Magpies at the Emirates and saw his side soundly beaten 2-0. That left Newcastle bottom of the Premier League and Arsenal in fifth. Tomorrow, they meet with the Gunners top and the visitors in third.

Howe’s team during those early months were set up to contain and play on the counter-attack as they scrambled clear of the relegation zone. Now, they are taking the game to the opposition and have won eight of the last 10. That will be the same tactic they adopt again tomorrow evening.

‘They should be relishing the place we’re in’: Eddie Howe said his side shouldn’t feel pressure

‘There are points within a game where you might be looking towards containment and trying to keep things tight for a while, but I don’t think it works to have that mindset as a starting point,’ said Howe.

‘How do you grow if that is your consistent way of approaching these types of games? I’m not sure you can. We’ve tended not to go down that route. We want players to believe they can win every game, and in order to do that, you have to prepare as if you believe you can win. So, we try to be consistent with that.

‘For me, the players shouldn’t feel burdened by expectation, or any of those types of emotions. They should be relishing the place we’re in and enjoying every second, as long as they continue to be united and give everything to continue to achieve consistent results.’

Reflecting on last season’s fixture, he added: ‘That day (first game at Arsenal), we were in a totally different place, and we were just getting our understanding of the group.

‘It was a difficult afternoon. I thought Arsenal were better than us and we weren’t good enough to get a result. The pleasing thing is that in those difficult early days, when we didn’t get the results and things did go against us, the group didn’t become fractured and didn’t lose the belief. Those early days, although they were difficult for us all, were pivotal.’

Newcastle are much-improved this year and currently occupy a Champions League spot

Newcastle are currently third in the Premier League and take on high-flying Arsenal next