Eddie Howe has stressed that Newcastle United are here to 'compete' - not to be 'popular'.
Newcastle ruffled a few feathers during a goalless draw at Arsenal on Tuesday night after the Magpies became the first side to pick up a point on the road against the league leaders this season. Although Newcastle have evolved into a more progressive outfit under Howe, the gritty visitors showed the other side of their game at the Emirates as Arsenal failed to score in a Premier League game for the first time in 2022-23.
Newcastle disrupted Arsenal's rhythm in a stop-start encounter and got under the skin of both the home support and Gunners boss Mikel Arteta with how they managed the game during the 0-0 stalemate. It was a night where the ball was in play for just 51 minutes and 23 seconds - Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles even picked up a booking for attempting to block a throw-in late on despite being an unused substitute - and Howe hailed his side for being 'streetwise' and 'smart'.
