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The Newcastle manager had tested various strategies.

The Newcastle United head coach previously deployed sides who pressed Manchester City aggressively. He tried alternative approaches with teams that dropped deeper. Different systems were tested, but none yielded victory.

It reached the point where Howe was only partially joking when he stated "we don't have anything new left" before Saturday's match.

Yet he found an answer.

Following a bruising loss at Brentford, the Magpies urgently needed to bounce back, Howe and his team devised a tactical plan to secure their first victory against Manchester City.

And their planning proved successful following a 2-1 victory at an electric St James' Park giving Howe his maiden win over Guardiola's Manchester City in league competition.

"I have extensive documentation of unsuccessful approaches against them, so I know what to avoid," Howe revealed. "Telling you what does is a very small piece of paper, but you just try and learn from experience and just tweak something the next time. That's what we did."

'I don't believe in radical overhauls'

The groundwork began after Newcastle's recent 3-1 loss at Brentford.

Howe spent numerous hours examining game film, assessing training and searching for fixes to their up-and-down form.

With a smaller squad during the international period, the team worked on restoring "their vitality and movement".

Several notable adjustments were implemented for Manchester City's visit.

Bruno Guimaraes was deployed centrally in midfield, a role previously held by Sandro Tonali, with returning defenders Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento making their first joint start since autumn and creating a significant difference.

Fabian Schar also made his first top-flight start in two months, replacing centre-back Sven Botman.

However, rather than implementing radical changes, Howe maintained his preferred 4-3-3 system while two adjustments were enforced due to the absence of injured players Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon.

The core group from the Brentford and West Ham matches were provided with redemption opportunities.

"I don't agree with completely overhauling systems," Howe stated. "Only in crisis situations would I consider drastic changes, which this isn't, and that's not my approach.

"I believe I have a clear understanding of our strongest players and I want to provide them every opportunity to demonstrate their qualities through guidance and development opportunities."

Barnes Delivers When It Matters

Something clearly needed to change, however.

Only the struggling offenses of Wolves and Leeds had produced fewer goals than Newcastle this season.

New signing Nick Woltemade had seemed detached, with minimal attacking supply, particularly away from home.

While Woltemade was on international duty with Germany, Newcastle practiced varied attacking patterns around their striker featuring Barnes and Jacob Murphy, to optimize his contribution after his international commitment.

Newcastle manufactured several scoring opportunities for Woltemade, but the City goalkeeper produced three important stops.

But whereas Newcastle were once overly dependent on Woltemade, other players have begun to contribute significantly.

Notably Barnes.

The attacker squandered important chances in the opening period - including missing an empty net - and confessed he wasn't "the fan favorite" during the break.

Yet Barnes didn't just score the opener with a quality finish from range in the second period, he netted the decider shortly after City drew level via Ruben Dias.

Newcastle previously led against Arsenal, Brentford and West Ham only to ultimately lose.

However, they maintained composure when City drew level and during eight additional minutes.

The match featured Newcastle outperforming City in defensive statistics, including tackles, headers and blocks.

Although Manchester City controlled possession, which naturally affects the statistics, Newcastle stood firm and made nearly twice as many clearances (36) and restricted the visitors to just four shots on target.

This defensive effort was praised by former Magpies defender Jonathan Woodgate.

"Defensively they were outstanding, making it extremely challenging for City to exploit gaps in midfield," he stated in his broadcast analysis. "Second half I considered them the superior team, consistently catching City on counter-attacks and ultimately scoring two magnificent goals by Barnes. What an entertaining match."

Fortress St James' Park

However, should this victory at a illuminated St James' Park be considered completely unexpected?

Only Manchester City (13) have won more Premier League home games than Howe's team (11) in 2025.

From the start of the previous campaign, Newcastle have recorded eight victories, two draws and only two defeats at home against top opponents including City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, United and Spurs.

Yet in away matches, Newcastle have failed to win a Premier League game since April.

This explains why the team were just a single point above the relegation zone before Saturday's significant victory.

"As much as I'd prefer to claim the crowd shouldn't influence on-field performance, it transforms everything," Howe acknowledged. "We must determine how to transfer positive energy into our away performances when we lack crowd support.

"That's our responsibility to resolve, whether through system adjustments, personnel changes. Regardless of the approach, we need to commit to finding remedies."