‘Nothing has changed’; Howe issues Newcastle warning but reveals how his men downed Brighton

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe insists nobody is getting carried away with the situation despite victory over Brighton giving them an eight-game unbeaten run.

The Magpies looked dead and buried until a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on December 27. That was the catalyst for a sequence of results that has seen them pick up 18 points from a possible 24. New recruits in January have helped and the Tynesiders now sit 14th in the table, with 28 points from 26 games played.

The north-east outfit are seven points above the relegation zone and heading in the right direction. Ryan Fraser and Fabian Schar ensured the hosts were 2-0 up inside 14 minutes.

Lewis Dunk pulled one back 10 minutes after the interval but Newcastle held on to claim the spoils. Howe was delighted with the three points but made it clear his side’s mindset remains unaltered.

“In terms of result, it’s absolutely fantastic for us,” he told Sky Sports. “We said pre-game nothing has changed and that we are still in a relegation fight. We still are.

“I have a lot of respect for Brighton. They are a tough opponent. We knew we would be tactically tested.”

And the former Bournemouth chief explained what his men did well that sent the supporters home happy.

“We showed mental toughness, especially at 2-1,” he added. “When they scored the game was very much in the balance but we handled it well.

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