Newcastle United deserved Champions League – Eddie Howe | OneFootball

Eddie Howe watched on as his Newcastle United team lost their final Premier League match of the season.

A 1-0 home defeat to Everton.

This followed a run of six Premier League wins in a row at St James’ Park, a run that had seen 20 goals scored by Newcastle in the half dozen home wins.

However, Eddie Howe and his players saved by the fact that Villa lost at Old Trafford, meaning Newcastle finish the season in fifth and get Champions League football next season.

Eddie Howe speaking after the defeat AND Champions League qualification!

“It feels great, the achievement is huge.

“Naturally, when you lose the game, there’s a feeling of disappointment, but I think we have to override that with [the fact that] over the 38 games, Newcastle United deserved to qualify for the Champions League.

“It’s a huge moment for the club.

“Throughout this year [season] there have been so many things, not just mentally but tactically, and the game evolves so quickly.

“It’s been a brilliant Premier League season.

“I think we had a difficult summer, I think there was an overhang of that early in the season.

“We had to fight really hard to overcome that and come back in the manner that we did, we can’t thank the players enough this year.

“We’ve got a great group who give their all in every game and that’s all we can ask for.

“Today, I think we did that. We tried to win the game but it wasn’t to be.”

Eddie Howe on finding out Newcastle had qualified for the Champions League:

“We were getting updated but I didn’t want it to dominate my focus.

“It was only when it looked like we were struggling to score in that second half and our result was in jeopardy, that the other results became more important for us.

“But all the way through the game we were still trying to find a way to score and claw ourselves a way back into the game.

“I think there was a point with about five minutes to go that it looked like, barring an amazing last five or 10 minutes, we were there.”

Newcastle 0 Everton 1 – Sunday 25 May 4pm

(Stats via BBC Sport)

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Everton:

Alcaraz 65

Possession was Newcastle 66% Everton 34%

Total shots were Newcastle 17 Everton 14

Shots on target were Newcastle 6 Everton 6

Corners were Newcastle 12 Everton 3

Touches in the box Newcastle 28 Everton 13

Newcastle team v Everton:

Pope, Botman (Trippier 63), Schar, Burn, Livramento, Gordon (Willock 46), Tonali, Bruno, Barnes (Osula 88), Isak, Murphy (Wilson 70)

Unused Subs:

Dubravka, Lascelles, Longstaff, Krafth, Miley

(Newcastle 0 Everton 1 – Instant Newcastle United fan/writer reaction to Champions League qualification! Read HERE)