NEWCASTLE: Eddie Howe has urged Newcastle to remain united as they hit the Premier League home straight with Champions League football on the line.
The Magpies’ chances to stretch clear of Liverpool, who are breathing down their necks in fifth place, were dashed at St. James’ Park when Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal cruised to a 2-0 victory.
And while heads are dropping around Tyneside, head coach Howe knows that success is only possible with the fans, club and players aligned.
“When you look at the four games we have, we will need the crowd and to stay united,” said Howe.
“Incredible support we have had all season. The noise was there today. We just needed to score and it would have helped us take off.
“It was about missed chances. The moments were there for us. We had a lot in the game. They didn’t go in and we are hugely frustrated with that part of our game. We probably didn’t defend as well as we have for the majority of the season, either. We were good without being at our very best.
“We needed to control our emotions a bit better than we did in the first half. The penalty decision is a big one and probably rocked us more than it did them. It was about keeping the ball better as Arsenal are a big transition threat. But we have four games to go and our destiny is in our own hands. We need to focus on that.”
Meanwhile, Howe is facing up to the prospect of losing midfielder Sean Longstaff potentially until the end of the season.
The player is set to go for a scan on Tuesday to determine the extent of his foot injury.
“I don’t know anymore as I sit here now. I certainly hope we will see him (this season). On specialist’s advice, he’s going to see a specialist on Tuesday to get double checked,” he said.
“I won’t go into the technicalities but we thought it was a standard injury but now there may be a chance of something more serious than that. We’re in the dark at the moment.”
In Longstaff, Joelinton dropped into the three-man midfield alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Joe Willock. Alexander Isak started on the left wing.
“I think Sean has been an integral part of our midfield and I think when you take him out we lose a bit of balance,” Howe admitted.
The balance of the team has been so impressive — Sean does a really important job in and out of possession for us.
“But there’s no slight on anyone that came into the team today. There was a different balance to our team with Alex on the left and Callum up front. They played well but we were up against a very good team today.
“We still created credible chances and there were moments in that game when I thought we’d explode and catch fire today but it didn’t quite happen.
“Sean has been a big part of our success.”
