Eddie Howe insists Newcastle’s strong recent form against Manchester United will be irrelevant when they meet at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.
NEWCASTLE United manager Eddie Howe has dismissed his team’s impressive recent record against Manchester United ahead of their Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Friday.
The Magpies have won five of their last six meetings in all competitions against United.
They have also secured victory in four of the last five Premier League encounters since a 2-0 defeat in the 2023 League Cup final.
Howe said that painful Wembley loss would not influence his approach.
“I don’t know if that was a catalyst,” he stated.
“My process is to see the strengths and weaknesses of the team that we’re playing against.”
He emphasised that past results hold no value for the upcoming fixture.
“Our record has been good against Manchester United in recent games, but that counts for nothing in this game,” Howe added.
“It will be another independent game.”
The Newcastle boss praised United’s recent performances despite their last result being a draw at Aston Villa.
“They’ve improved, they’ve been really strong in the games,” he noted.
Newcastle finished 24 points above United last season but currently trail their hosts by three points.
This follows a 2-2 home draw with Chelsea on Saturday, where record signing Nick Woltemade scored both goals.
Howe was delighted with the German striker’s performance and connection with the fans.
“You can see the crowd are really happy for him and he’s happy to embrace the celebrations with the crowd,” he said.
“I thought it was his best performance for the team.”
He highlighted Woltemade’s improved link-up play and positioning.
“He helped us build the ball through the thirds of the pitch, but most importantly when the ball arrived in the box, he was there.”
