Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has insisted he cannot yet be talked of in the same breath as celebrated predecessors Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson.

Howe has hugely enhanced his reputation since being appointed to the hotseat at St James’ Park by the cub’s new Saudi-backed owners in November 2021 and overseeing a dramatic change in fortunes.

Within 18 months, the 45-year-old had guided the Magpies to a first domestic cup final in 24 years and secured a top-four Premier League finish playing a thrilling brand of football, an achievement comparable to those of Keegan and Robson during their respective tenures.

As a result, he has won a similar place in the affections of fans, although asked if he recognised the comparison, Howe said: “No. For me personally, I don’t see that. I’ve got so, so much to do to even be talked of in the same breath as those people.

“When I watched Sir Bobby’s documentary, which I thought was an amazing thing to watch, it hits you, his career and what he did and how he acted, just everything about his character and the legacy that he’s left here.

“It was a really powerful thing to watch, I thought, and I really, really enjoyed it, so no, I’ve got a lot to do.

“The drive is to try to do as well as you can. I don’t judge it by what they achieved – they are different times.

“They did their best for the football club when they were here and they achieved some unbelievable things, and I will try to do my best for the football club both short-term and long-term while I’m here. That’s all I can do.

“The outcome will be the outcome. Obviously I hope it’s positive, I hope people will look back on it fondly. That’s all I wish.”

Newcastle face Liverpool on Sunday in a fixture which always rekindles memories of the epic 4-3 defeat at Anfield in April 1996 which dented their title charge under Keegan.

His so-called Entertainers set the benchmark for subsequent generations and just as Robson did, Howe is keen to reproduce a style of play which excites supporters.

He said: “I said very early in my tenure here that to be compared to The Entertainers is a huge compliment because we want to entertain, not necessarily instead of winning because we are here to win, but to entertain as well.

“We are desperate for our supporters to come to the stadium and then leave with that feeling that they cannot wait for next week, with that feeling of, ‘What is the team going to show today?’.

“Those kind of emotions are really positive and we want to leave lasting memories. I want my players to be remembered forever, to become legends of the football club. That is something I want for them.”

Eddie Howe will send his Newcastle side into battle with Liverpool still haunted by the memories of their encounters last season.

The Reds were the only club to complete a Premier League double over the Magpies, although they gained a measure of revenge when they went on to finish fourth – one place and four points better off than Jurgen Klopp’s men.

However, Howe admits it does not take much to stoke memories of the Fabio Carvalho winner in the eighth minute of stoppage time which handed Liverpool victory at Anfield last August, or the red card in a 2-0 defeat in the reverse fixture which cost goalkeeper Nick Pope his place in the Carabao Cup final.

Howe said: “I move on quickly from the game in the sense that then you have to prepare the next one, but I think the emotion of the game and the feeling and the memories of the game, they stay with you for some time.

“The memories of last year’s games, they’re with me. I can visualise certain moments, but then you have to detach yourself from that and go, ‘right, how do we prepare this one?’, because whether it’s tactical or whatever the thing is that you think you can do better, it’s about then delivering that to the best of your ability.

“There’s a lot of defeats in my management career that are still there and they just need probably the emotions stoking and they’ll come back to the forefront of my brain.”

Newcastle’s resurgence, fuelled in large part by the wealth of their Saudi-backed owners, has seen them re-establish a rivalry with Liverpool which sparked a series of memorable encounters in the 1990s.

Klopp has on more than one occasion taken aim at the Magpies, and the two coaching teams have at times enjoyed a frosty relationship on the touchline.

However, Howe expressed surprise at the perception there is added needle between the two camps when they go head-to-head.

Asked why he believed the rivalry had become so intense in recent seasons, he replied: “I don’t know. Has it?

“Genuinely, I think the rivalry between Newcastle and Liverpool has always been there, historically. I don’t think it’s been ramped up particularly any more than it’s always been.

“When the game’s been on historically over a number of years, it’s a game everyone will go, ‘I want to watch that, I want to see what’s going to happen’.

“There will be moments and flashpoints because they are two iconic clubs going against each other. I don’t think it’s necessarily ramped up in the last two years.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has urged midfielder Bruno Guimaraes to learn a lesson after hitting back at “stupid” criticism on social media.

The 25-year-old Brazil international has become something of a cult hero at St James’ Park since his £35million arrival from Lyon in January last year and has established an online following with his regular posts.

However, he felt moved to mount a staunch defence of his team after Saturday evening’s 1-0 defeat at Manchester City, who he described as “maybe one of the best teams in the world”, accusing some detractors of having “short stupid memories” in a message since deleted.

Asked about Guimaraes’ response, head coach Howe said: “I’m certainly not going to criticise the supporters here. I think it’s more a lesson for us.

“I choose not to be on social media for that exact reason, because I want a clear thought process. I don’t want to pollute my thoughts with things that I read and avoid certain situations, so I take myself out of that environment.

“The players can choose to be on it, that’s absolutely fine because that’s their individual choice, but I think it’s important that we don’t overly react emotionally to certain things.

“Now, Bruno is a very emotional person and I think you’ve seen on the pitch, it’s so positive for us, that emotion. He uses it brilliantly, he has used it brilliantly to not just perform well, but build a feeling with the supporters because I think the supporters see how much it means to him.

“It’s all positive in terms of that feeling that Bruno has, but this is just maybe a little lesson for him.”

Howe admitted that the advent of social media has brought a new element to the lives of players which can have an impact, both positively and negatively.

Asked how that can be managed, he said: “A lot of the young players now will have been on social media all of their lives or from a certain age, so it just becomes part of their daily routines, potentially, to look and to read and to be in that world.

“Once you’re in it, it’s slightly more difficult to come away from it, whereas when I was growing up, it wasn’t there.”

Guimaraes and his team-mates will hope to do their talking on the pitch on Sunday, when they return to action against Liverpool, the only side to beat them home and away in last season’s Premier League.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has aimed a series of barbs at the newly-enriched Tyneside club and, asked if he had a relationship with the German, Howe said: “I don’t really have a relationship with any manager.

“I’m competing against them, I find it very difficult to have personal relationships with competitors.

“I respect Jurgen a lot. I think he’s done an incredible job. He’s an unbelievable football manager, but I draw the line at friendships because they don’t exist for me.”

West Ham could emerge from Declan Rice's departure as a "stronger" unit with James Ward-Prowse taking the midfielder's place, according to Harry Redknapp.

Rice joined Arsenal for a club-record £100million in July, having capped his final season with the Irons by lifting the Europa Conference League trophy in June.

Despite the windfall generated by Rice's sale, West Ham endured a frustrating pre-season amid reports boss David Moyes did not see eye-to-eye with new technical director Tim Steidten.

However, the signings of former Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse and Mexico international Edson Alvarez have lifted the mood at the London Stadium.

Ward-Prowse enjoyed a dream debut as West Ham beat Chelsea 3-1 on Sunday, becoming the first player to record multiple assists on his first Premier League outing for the club.

With Ward-Prowse bringing his set-piece prowess to the London Stadium, Redknapp – who played for West Ham between 1965 and 1972 and managed the club between 1994 and 2001 – is positive about the Hammers' prospects.

Asked about West Ham's recruitment, Redknapp told Stats Perform: "I love Ward-Prowse. He's a good player and looks a good character and a good lad.

"So yeah, they could be a stronger team this year, with the money they've raised. They've lost one outstanding player but they've [potentially] got [some] very good players in with that money. 

"I think it's good business for West Ham. I think West Ham will be fine."

Asked about Moyes facing criticism from supporters despite lifting the first major trophy of his managerial career last term, Redknapp added: "That's football, isn't it? That's the way the game goes. It's a results business now, you don't get long. 

"You know, back in the day, West Ham had four managers in something like 75 years. Ron Greenwood, John Lyall, Ted Fenton before that. That was how the game was. 

"Now, you get 20-odd minutes! You lose a few games, you lose four, five, six games, you're in trouble. You've got people calling for your head. 

"David is a good manager. He's been around long enough, he knows his situation, he knows he needs results. There's no reason they can't have a good season."

Another of Redknapp's former clubs did make a coaching change ahead of the new season, with Bournemouth replacing now-Wolves boss Gary O'Neil with Andoni Iraola.

Asked about his first impressions of the former Rayo Vallecano coach, Redknapp said: "I don't know much about him at the moment, but they tell me he's very good. 

"It's a good club, with new owners, and they're ambitious. It's good that new people have come in, they look like they're good for the club. I think they're going to be good for everybody.

"It's their choice to change manager, it's their decision. They own the club, they can do what they want and they feel the new guy's the man to take the club forward. Let's hope he can. 

"Things are looking good down there, I think the team looks okay. They've made one or two signings and they've got a couple more injured still to come in. 

"I think they might make one or two more signings. I don't see them being a relegation outfit this year, I think they'll be fine. They'll improve on what they did last year possibly."

Elsewhere, Redknapp is pleased to see former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe succeeding with Newcastle United, having earned his opportunity by leading the Cherries to the top flight for the first time in 2015.

"He's a top manager," Redknapp said of Howe. "We've got some fantastic young managers in this country who don't get the opportunity to manage a top team. 

"There are loads in the Championship and below who could do a great job in the Premier League if they were ever given the opportunity.

"Eddie deserved the opportunity. What he did at Bournemouth was amazing, and now he's doing magnificent, wonderful things at Newcastle. 

"He's got the backing, he's got good players, they've bought some fantastic players in, the recruitment's been great. But Eddie's a top manager, he could manage anywhere."

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is relishing the dilemma of having to disappoint players as he attempts to negotiate a path through a season which could see his squad stretched to its limits.

The 45-year-old left summer signings Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento, as well as last season’s top scorer Callum Wilson, sitting on the bench for Saturday’s Premier League opener, but saw Wilson and Barnes come on and score in a 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa.

Howe admitted in the run-up to the game that he had “five or six” difficult decisions to make in the light of a fresh £125million spending spree, Anthony Gordon’s pre-season form and the emergence of homegrown midfielder Elliot Anderson, but that is a problem he welcomes with a Champions League campaign looming.

He said: “They’re dilemmas that are needed because we’re going to need the strongest squad possible, and the players who missed out today will play loads of games this season.

“That’s just a fact because we’re in so many different competitions, we’re going to be stretched and we’ll also be needing their quality as well.

“It’s going to be nice to be able to make those decisions. We need the strongest bench we can get this year with the amount of games we’re going to have, the amount of competitions we’re in.

“It was certainly a difficult day yesterday to name the team. They weren’t easy decisions for me to make – decisions I had to make, of course, being in my position – and then you just hope the team performs and you get the benefit of that squad.”

One of those decisions saw Howe hand a debut to £52m former AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali, and it paid off handsomely as the 23-year-old not only opened the scoring within six minutes, but produced a commanding display on his first appearance in England’s top flight.

Villa’s record signing Moussa Diaby cancelled out the Italian’s early strike in short order, but his response was to play a pivotal role as Newcastle overwhelmed the visitors, Alexander Isak helping himself to a double either side of the unfortunate Tyrone Mings’ departure on a stretcher before substitutes Wilson and Barnes added their names to the scoresheet late on.

Howe was understandably delighted, but equally confident there is more to come.

He said: “We didn’t defend perfectly, so there’s stuff for us to improve – but it was a weird situation. I thought they (Villa) played well, but we could have scored more goals.”

Opposite number Unai Emery headed back to the midlands hoping the news on Mings is not as bad as that which saw midfielder Emiliano Buendia ruled out for an extended period with a knee injury last week, but taking comfort from Diaby’s impressive debut on Tyneside.

Emery said: “We haven’t had all bad news and one of the good things was to watch Moussa playing feeling good and adapting to the position we’re trying to get with him. He was good, he scored and he played well.

“We had some good moments in the 90 minutes, but there a lot of things we had to do to control the match that we didn’t do within our system.”

Eddie Howe has admitted Newcastle have “massively over-achieved” this season and will have to spend big in the summer if they are to match it next time around.

The Magpies secured a return to the Champions League after a 20-year absence when Monday night’s 0-0 draw with Leicester guaranteed a top-four finish ahead of Sunday’s final-day trip to Chelsea.

That represents a significant upgrade on the club’s target at the start of the campaign, and it will require further investment from their Saudi-backed owners this summer to ensure they can compete on all fronts.

Asked if he was looking forward to that challenge, head coach Howe said: “Ask me in a few months. I don’t know if it’s something you look forward to, but the dynamic will have changed for us.

“I think we have massively over-achieved this year for where we were at the start of the season and to keep over-achieving – and that’s what we’re going to have to do to match the expectation – is going to be our biggest challenge.”

Newcastle have already spent in excess of £250million on players in the three transfer windows since Amanda Staveley’s consortium bought out Mike Ashley in October 2021, and while they have bought astutely and been richly rewarded, Howe is conscious that task will become more challenging.

They will shop this summer in a different market to the one the 45-year-old might have anticipated. The club has long-standing interest in West Ham’s Declan Rice and Leicester’s James Maddison with both tipped to be on the move this summer, although Rice in particular will have suitors, some with even deeper pockets, queuing up.

Asked if his wish-list would include “marquee” signings, Howe said: “Yes, there would be players we’d love to bring in that would be classified in that bracket, I’m sure.

“For me, it’s more about the role they can fulfil in the team – whether that’s viewed positively or as a marquee signing, then great.

“I’m not in my mind thinking, ‘We have to have one of those players that ticks that box for the supporters’. As much as I’d love to do that, it’s about finding the right player in the right position who I think makes us better.”

For all Newcastle’s new-found wealth, Howe has been at pains throughout his reign to stress that unbridled spending is simply not an option, and that the club will have to continue to invest shrewdly.

He said: “Unfortunately players don’t come cheap, especially good players. Yes, we are going to have to spend a certain amount of money. How much that is, I don’t know.

“I still don’t know what my budget is at this moment in time, but there will have to be some expenditure. It will have to be controlled. It will have to be under FFP restrictions, which we have worked under and will continue to work under. They are definitely impacting us and what we will be able to do.”

Howe will be without keeper Nick Pope at Stamford Bridge after he underwent surgery on a hand injury, and he will join Jamaal Lascelles, Javier Manquillo, Matt Ritchie, Joelinton and Joe Willock on the sidelines.

Callum Wilson is in the form of his life as his goals edge Newcastle ever closer to Champions League qualification.

That is the view of Magpies head coach Eddie Howe, who worked with the England striker during the pair’s time together at Bournemouth before they were reunited at St James’ Park.

Wilson is enjoying the Premier League goals return of his career with 18 to date, the last 11 coming since the beginning of April and eight of them in his six most recent appearances, the perfect response to record signing Alexander Isak’s presence on Tyneside.

Asked if the 31-year-old’s rich vein of form was his best yet, Howe said with a smile: “He’ll probably tell me there’s been a better spell somewhere down the line, I imagine.

“The season he was in the Championship with us, my first season with him at Bournemouth, I thought he was electric.

“But this is at the very highest level, this is against the best defenders in the world, the best teams in the world and he’s performing at probably, I’d say, the best level I’ve ever seen him at.”

Wilson’s latest telling contribution came in Thursday night’s crucial 4-1 home victory over Brighton, which sends the Magpies into Monday’s clash with Leicester knowing Champions League qualification is firmly within their grasp.

With the score at 2-1 and barely a minute of normal time remaining, he broke and fired past keeper Jason Steele before racing clear once again to set up Bruno Guimaraes to score, although it was his all-round contribution which pleased Howe most.

The 45-year-old said: “I complimented him, not in terms of the goal he scored, but just his intelligence on the press for us because he is the one that has to set the chain off and he has to get it right.

“If he gets it wrong, the whole team suffers, so I thought his tactical understanding was as good as I’ve seen.”

The intensity Newcastle mustered against the Seagulls has become their trademark under Howe, and it is one of which he is justifiably proud.

He said: “You can’t promise the winning. In my first press conference here, I said I can’t promise that, but I can try to give a team that empties on the pitch, that gives everything every time we step on to it.

“That’s what I ask of the team, that’s what I ask of the players consistently. It’s easier said than done because in a long season, cup runs, naturally people will have off days, bad days, that’s just natural.

“But you can have a bad day and still give your all, and I’ve got to compliment the players on what they’ve done this year. The mindset and mentality of the group have been second to none.”

Eddie Howe has admitted Newcastle will need two XIs of equal quality to cope with the rigours of European football next season.

The Magpies secured a Europa League campaign at worst with Thursday night’s 4-1 Premier League victory over Brighton, and will play in the Champions League if they win one of their two remaining games of the current campaign, which continues with struggling Leicester’s trip to St James’ Park on Monday.

Asked what that would mean for the summer transfer window, Howe, who has been allowed to spend in excess of £250million to date, replied: “It’s a good question. We need to figure that out.

“If you have a strong squad, rotation will be important. Rotation is going to be important, utilising the whole squad is going to be important.

“We haven’t felt the necessity to necessarily do that on a consistent basis because we’ve been in one competition – of course, we had the cup run. We have rotated to a degree, but maybe not in the numbers that we might need to next year.

“If you’re going to do that, then the squad needs to be strong enough, so if you put out two XIs, they’re of equal strength.”

The strength of Howe’s current squad could be put to the test on Monday evening with his midfield resources stretched severely in the aftermath of an energy-sapping clash with the Seagulls.

Joe Willock was helped from the pitch in some discomfort with a hamstring injury which the Magpies fear will end his season with two games to go, while Bruno Guimaraes has been nursing a persistent ankle problem in recent months.

Howe said as he conducted his pre-match press conference: “Today I’ll be going straight to the physio room, to be honest, after this to see how everybody is. We’ve got a few concerns.

“The lads gave so much yesterday to the game, they’ve given a lot to the season physically and I just hope there’s no serious effects.

“It looks like Joe Willock may be in trouble with his hamstring – we might lose him for the season, but that’s unclear as I sit here now. Fingers crossed our team will still be strong.”

Even redoubtable Brazilian Joelinton is feeling the effects of a gruelling campaign after running himself into the ground in the club’s cause.

Howe, who is not anticipating having either Sean Longstaff or Jacob Murphy back available to face the Foxes, said: “He’s a machine. He’d literally – it’s a well-used phrase in football – run through a brick wall for the team, the club and I think he does every game.

“He succumbed to that brick wall last night, it seemed to hurt him, but we hope he’s okay. He’s just been incredible for us this year.”

Eddie Howe is confident his Newcastle players will not be daunted by the challenge of securing Champions League qualification as the season draws to a close.

The Magpies have four games in which to cement a top-four Premier League finish as they, Manchester United, Liverpool, Brighton and outsiders Tottenham jockey for position behind top two Manchester City and Arsenal.

A 2-0 home defeat by the Gunners last weekend may have dented their charge and prompted hopes among the chasing pack of a late-season wobble, but head coach Howe was having none of it.

Asked if the air around the training ground was a little heavier as a result of what is at stake in Saturday’s trip to relegation-threatened Leeds, he said: “The air should be lighter, not heavier.

“We’re excited, that has to be our emotion. We’re looking forward to the challenges ahead, we’re not in any way, I don’t feel, daunted by it.

“In sport, sometimes the more you think the more you damage yourselves, so play the game. These players have played all their lives and played because they enjoy it, so let’s strip away everything and let’s just perform well in our next game.”

Newcastle head into the latest round of fixtures sitting in third place and knowing two more wins would almost certainly secure a place in European club football’s biggest competition next season – which would represent a significant upgrade on their target when they set out in August.

Howe admitted: “The aim was to not be in another relegation battle, try to stay clear of that and then build a lot of aspects of the team and play to be successful and sustain that success long-term.

“Things have snowballed, now we sit where we do and we’ve done incredibly well.”

In the process, the Magpies have found themselves thrust into the limelight with opposition managers having taken aim at both their game-management and physicality.

Asked if he felt they had people rattled, Howe said: “We hope to be a nuisance for all teams. We don’t want to be nice to play against.”

Howe’s players will need to bring all that to bear at Elland Road, where Leeds are engaged in a desperate fight for top-flight survival with former Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce having been parachuted in to engineer a rescue mission.

He and Howe were touted for the vacant England manager’s job back in 2016 before Allardyce got the nod for what proved to be the briefest of reigns.

“Without remembering, I’d probably say I felt I shouldn’t maybe have been in that frame at that stage of my career,” Howe said. “I felt I had so much to achieve and experience before being elevated to that position.

“But it’s always a compliment and you always take it in the right way, that it must mean you’re doing something right in your job to be elevated to those levels.”

A bullish Allardyce ventured on his appointment at Leeds that he was as good a manager as Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta, but Howe says he was not disappointed to be left off the list.

“I wouldn’t be arrogant enough to push my name into that list,” he said.

Eddie Howe has admitted Newcastle will have to unearth future superstars before they hit the headlines after playing down links with Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.

The high-flying Magpies have found themselves at the centre of speculation over big-money moves ever since Amanda Staveley’s Saudi-backed consortium completed its takeover at St James’ Park in October 2021.

Newcastle, in which Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund holds an 80 per cent stake, have invested in excess of £250million in new players in the last three transfer windows, but have been touted as contenders to land both Portuguese giant Ronaldo and Brazilian counterpart Neymar in recent days.

Asked about the prospect of some of the best players in the world one day plying their trade on Tyneside, head coach Howe – who has persistently cited financial fair play as a limiting factor on the club’s recruitment plans – said: “It is best to discover them before they explode onto the world scene.

“We could not be able to come close to affording those players as they are the best players in the world.

“We are never going to be in a position currently to afford those transfer fees and wages, so we need to go underneath and find them young and develop them into the players they can be.”

The Magpies’ business to date has been shrewd with the likes of Nick Pope and Kieran Trippier having arrived for relatively modes fees before more sizeable investment in Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.

But, having guided the club into third place in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday’s showdown with title-chasing Arsenal, Howe knows it is inevitable they will be linked with bigger names.

Asked about Ronaldo and Neymar, he said: “That kind of speculation has been there from day one since the takeover, really. Naturally everyone has then assumed the biggest names in world football will be going to Newcastle.

“Now we’ve not recruited that way. Financially, we can’t recruit that way at the moment, but also we have to bring the right people and the right players into the group.

“I will say the transfer market is such a complex decision, you can’t just pick a name and bring them in. There’s got to be a lot of thought going into what we’re doing both financially and looking at the players.”

“Those two players are unbelievable players. We are linked with different names.

“I know what direction I want to take the team in and what we can and can’t do in the transfer market.”

Howe’s comments came amid reports that Lionel Messi could command a £320million a year package – £15million more than Staveley and her partners paid for Newcastle – if he opts to move to Saudi Arabia’s Pro League this summer.

Eddie Howe is convinced Anthony Gordon will be a top player for Champions League-chasing Newcastle despite another early withdrawal against Southampton.

The £45million January signing was handed just his third start for the club in Sunday’s 3-1 comeback victory over the Saints which tightened their grip on third place, but made way at half-time for striker Callum Wilson.

Gordon, 22, had earlier passed up two good opportunities to score, including clipping the post with a 19th-minute effort after beating keeper Alex McCarthy, although Howe was happy with his contribution since his arrival from Everton and is expecting much, much more from him in the future.

He said: “We’ve seen glimpses of unbelievable potential. I’ve got no doubts – I’ve said this previously – that he’ll be a top player for us.

“Sometimes these things take a little bit longer for everyone else to see, but I’ve got no doubts.”

Gordon was also substituted 62 minutes into his full debut at Manchester City and after 56 minutes in the 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa, which came a week after reacting angrily to being taken back off having earlier being introduced from the bench at Brentford.

However on this occasion, Howe insisted the player’s reaction had been just what he would have expected.

He said: “His reaction to being taken off was very good – if there can be a very good reaction to it.

“Obviously internally, I suspect, he was very disappointed, but he didn’t let that show. There was no outward sign of a negative reaction to that, which you need in that situation.

“If I wanted to introduce Callum, I had to take somebody off. It was a process of that decision, really. I thought Anthony played well in the first half. Our best moments came through him, so it wasn’t really a slight on what he had given the team.

“I felt I had to do something to stimulate the group and give Southampton a different problem. I was delighted with the 45 minutes that he had.”

Howe’s decision paid off handsomely as the Magpies bounced back from Stuart Armstrong’s 41st-minute opener to overwhelm a side which had given as good as it got for long periods before the break.

Wilson levelled within nine minutes of his arrival and then, after substitute Theo Walcott had inadvertently turned Sven Botman’s header into his own net, scored for a second time after Joe Willock had forced Ainsley Maitland-Niles into an error.

He might have collected his first hat-trick for Newcastle had a late shot not hit the crossbar twice, but he will head into Sunday’s vital clash with Arsenal on 15 goals for the campaign and having provided the perfect response to being left out of Howe’s starting line-up despite scoring twice at Everton in midweek.

By contrast, Southampton are on the brink, six points adrift of safety with just four games to play and knowing the odds of them staying up are against them.

Boss Ruben Selles said: “We need to be more robust. We came here, we showed what we are, but we need to put the performance together for 90 to 95, 96 minutes, and that’s why we didn’t make it today.

“We just need to continue, try to put those performances in for longer in the game and if one incident or one goal is against us, to still stand there and try to get the very best out of the game.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is confident there is more to come from his own “Thierry Henry” after seeing record signing Alexander Isak light up the Premier League.

The Magpies’ £60million summer recruit has been in sensational form since returning from a four-month injury lay-off, taking his tally for the season to 10 goals as he battles Callum Wilson for the right to lead the line.

However, it was a stunning assist in Thursday night’s 4-1 win at Everton which drew comparisons with the mercurial Frenchman as he picked up the ball on halfway and skipped past three defenders on a mesmerising run before crossing for Jacob Murphy to tap in at the far post.

Asked if he could see the comparison, head coach Howe said: “Yes, I can, I can see the comparisons there.

“Everyone is different, there are no two players that are the same, but I do think he has some of the characteristics Thierry had.

“He’s certainly got the speed and a similar build and frame. The footwork for the assist was truly remarkable, really, and I think he’s got a lot of potential to improve and get better.

“But it’s been a great start for him here.”

Eyebrows were raised when Newcastle opted to invest so heavily to prise the now 23-year-old away from Real Sociedad in their search for added firepower, but their faith has been richly rewarded.

Isak scored a stunning debut goal at Liverpool in August, but after just three appearances for the club, damaged a thigh muscle on international duty with Sweden and was sidelined until January.

However, his rich vein of form has been key to the Magpies’ surge into Champions League contention – he has scored four times in his last five games – although his intervention at Goodison Park came from the bench as Howe rotated his in-form frontmen.

Asked if Isak has proved an even better player than he had anticipated, he said: “I don’t think you ever know with absolute certainty.

“Anyone who says that would be lying because until you work with a player close-up and you see them every day, I don’t think you ever know what their true capability is.

“But we’ve been very impressed with everything that he’s delivered to this point, not just technically on the pitch, but his character and how he’s handled certain situations. He’s been first class.”

Nevertheless, Isak will have to wait to see if he gets another chance to impress when struggling Southampton visit St James’ Park on Sunday with Howe having rested Wilson for the trip to Brentford earlier this month after he had scored twice at West Ham, and then done the same to the Swede following his double against Tottenham on Sunday.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is taking nothing for granted despite a return to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years looking all the more assured after a 4-1 win at Everton.

Callum Wilson scored his seventh and eighth goals in six matches against the Toffees, with Joelinton and substitute Jacob Murphy adding the others as the Magpies made it 10 goals in their last two matches.

Victory opened up an eight-point gap to fifth place but Howe, whose side thrashed Tottenham 6-1 on Sunday, is refusing to get ahead of himself.

“We know nothing is taken for granted from our perspective,” said Howe.

“It puts us in a lot stronger position. To get six points from Tottenham and Everton is a great return.

“It was always going to be a difficult game for us but we handled the occasion well in a hostile environment.

“The first goal was going to be crucial. It was probably our best move and it came at a good time for us.

“The confidence was there and it was evident in the second half, maybe a bit of the edge of the game had gone but I think we had to earn the right to get to that point because Everton put us under pressure in the first half.”

What the papers say

Liverpool are hoping to sign Manchester City “outcast” Kalvin Phillips in a £35m deal this summer, the Daily Star says. Jurgen Klopp targeted the 27-year-old midfielder after being priced out of a move for Jude Bellingham.

Elsewhere, the Daily Telegraph reports Romelu Lukaku will be asked whether or not he wants to try to revive his Chelsea career under proposed permanent head coach Mauricio Pochettino. The 29-year-old striker has spent the season on loan at Inter Milan after making it clear that he no longer wanted to play for former head coach Thomas Tuchel.

In more Blues news, the Evening Standard says Frank Lampard will make himself available as a sounding board for Pochettino to help ensure a smooth transition. The former Tottenham manager is due to take over at the end of the season.

And according to The Sun, Eddie Howe will have up to £150million to bolster his Newcastle squad this summer. The Magpies are laying plans to prepare their squad for a Champions League campaign next season and are willing to spend between £100-150million.

Social media round-up

Top four = big spending for Howe this summer. And he has targets ? ? https://t.co/vjUB6mcTgt

— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) April 26, 2023

Lampard on Mount: “New deal for him? Not my opinion. It will be the opinion of the club and the opinion of Mason, so that's between them”. ?⭐️ #CFC

“There’s no doubt, he’s top-class player. Trust me, it’s not easy to play with top players around and he’s managed to do that”. pic.twitter.com/oczA2DJdny

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 25, 2023

Players to watch

Lionel Messi: 90min says Barcelona are “leaving no stone unturned” in their bid to re-sign the 35-year-old Argentina forward from Paris St-Germain but a deal will not be straightforward.

Andre Onana: Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport reports Chelsea are interested in signing the 27-year-old Cameroon goalkeeper from Inter Milan and could use Kepa Arrizabalaga, 28, as part of the deal.

Danny Rose watched in awe as his old club Tottenham were humbled 6-1 by Newcastle United and said being at the game made him "fall in love with football again".

Former England defender Rose, who spent most of his career at Spurs but in 2020 enjoyed a short loan at Newcastle, has been a free agent since leaving Watford last September.

The left-back subsequently kept his distance from football, even going as far as avoiding watching the World Cup in Qatar earlier this season.

But appearing as a pundit during Sky Sports' coverage on Sunday, the 32-year-old revealed how watching Newcastle's comprehensive victory over Spurs helped reignite his passion.

It may not be the most popular opinion with Tottenham supporters, who saw their team humiliated on Tyneside, but Rose's comments were heartfelt and not said with any relish for Spurs' downfall.

"I haven't watched a lot of football this season, but watching those 90 minutes have made me fall in love with football again. So thank you," Rose said.

"Obviously, it's no secret that I've been away from football. I've deliberately not watched any football - I didn't watch the World Cup.

"It was only until the other night – I watched [Manchester] City in the Champions League. Watching it and listening to the music is when I started to think: 'OK, I miss it.'

"I haven't been in a stadium for a long time. I love football – a lot of it's to do with the atmosphere – but just seeing how [Newcastle have] played football and that feeling after three points, it's just reignited some feelings within myself."

Newcastle, who were beaten 3-0 by Aston Villa in their previous outing, bolstered their top-four status by moving six points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham, against whom they led 5-0 after just 21 minutes.

"That's the reaction we wanted and an incredible start," Newcastle boss Eddie Howe told Sky Sports. "The quality of our finishing was incredible. They weren't stick-on goals. We were lethal in front of goal.

"Everything about our first half an hour was where we want to be. Since I walked through the door here, the players have responded so well. I can't thank them enough."

Newcastle full-back Kieran Trippier urged his team-mates to embrace the prospect of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

"We let the supporters down last week, and it was about responding well. I thought we did that," said the Magpies captain.

"We got some goals early in the game. We showed throughout the season we want to be on the front foot.

"We shouldn't be scared to say we want to play Champions League football. The games are running out. This stadium would be bouncing with Champions League football."