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The Newcastle manager had tested various strategies.

Previously, Howe had sent out teams that applied intense pressure against Manchester City. Other formations saw his team sitting back defensively. Various tactical setups were attempted, none proving successful.

Howe was barely exaggerating when he said "we've tried everything" ahead of the weekend fixture.

However, he uncovered an effective approach.

When Newcastle desperately needed a positive result, following a difficult loss at Brentford before the international break, Howe and his team devised a tactical plan to secure their first victory against Manchester City.

The strategy paid dividends with a 2-1 win in front of a passionate home crowd giving Howe his maiden win over Guardiola's Manchester City in league competition.

"I've got lists and lists of things that haven't worked against them so I could probably tell you what doesn't," Howe stated. "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. This was our process."

'Strategic evolution over revolution'

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

Howe dedicated countless hours analyzing match footage, reviewing training sessions and seeking solutions to what has been an inconsistent campaign.

Despite having fewer players available, Newcastle concentrated on regaining "their dynamism and physicality" during the break.

Important modifications were made specifically for the City match.

Bruno Guimaraes was deployed centrally in midfield, a role previously held by Sandro Tonali, as full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento began a match together for the first time in months and proved highly influential.

Defender Fabian Schar earned his first league start since autumn, coming in for Sven Botman.

However, rather than implementing radical changes, Howe maintained his preferred 4-3-3 system with two of the three lineup changes being necessitated by injuries to Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon.

The majority of players who featured at Brentford and, indeed, in the damaging defeat at West Ham, were given opportunities to redeem themselves.

"I'm against making wholesale changes," Howe stated. "Only in crisis situations would I consider drastic changes, which this isn't, and that's not my approach.

"I'm confident in identifying our best performers and aim to give them maximum chances to showcase their abilities through guidance and development opportunities."

Barnes Rises to the Occasion

However, transformation was undoubtedly required.

Prior to this game, only Wolves and Leeds United had netted fewer Premier League goals than Newcastle.

High-profile acquisition Nick Woltemade had looked disconnected, receiving inadequate support, especially on the road.

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.

The Magpies generated clear chances for Woltemade during the match, with the City keeper making three crucial saves.

However, while Newcastle previously relied too heavily on Woltemade, additional squad members have started making important contributions.

Particularly Barnes.

Barnes wasted crucial opportunities before halftime - even missing from close range - and acknowledged he wasn't "the most appreciated player" at intermission.

But not only did Barnes open the scoring with an excellent effort from the edge of the area in the second half, he delivered the winner just minutes after Manchester City equalized through Ruben Dias.

Newcastle had been ahead versus Arsenal, Brentford and West Ham but surrendered their leads.

Yet they remained resilient after City's equalizer and throughout eight minutes of added time.

This performance saw Newcastle dominate physical battles, winning more challenges and defensive actions.

While City dominated the ball, inevitably skewing the numbers, Newcastle defended resolutely with 36 clearances and limited City to only four accurate shots.

That defensive performance impressed former Newcastle defender Jonathan Woodgate.

"Defensively they were outstanding, making it extremely challenging for City to exploit gaps in midfield," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "After halftime I viewed them as the better side, repeatedly threatening City on breaks and netting two superb Barnes goals. What a spectacular game."

Fortress St James' Park

Yet should this result under the lights at St James' necessarily come as a massive surprise?

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

Since the beginning of last season, Newcastle have won eight, drawn two and lost just two of their home fixtures against Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham across all competitions.

However, away from home, Newcastle haven't triumphed in the top flight since April.

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

"While I'd like to assert that supporters shouldn't affect player performance, it completely changes dynamics," Howe acknowledged. "We have to discover ways to create positivity in road games without spectator backing.

"This problem requires our solution, whether through formation tweaks, selection alterations. Whatever proves necessary, we must dedicate ourselves to identifying solutions."