Eddie Howe has slightly lifted the pressure on him with Newcastle United’s win over Burnley.
The performance itself at Turf Moor was concerning, with Alan Shearer describing it as a ‘tough watch’. It certainly was just that, but the most important thing is that the Magpies were victorious.
Newcastle United beat Burnley 3-1 in their final game of 2025, ending a run of three consecutive Premier League games without victory. They were able to bounce back from their defeat to Manchester United, albeit not quite in style.
Who was your MOTM against Burnley?!
Feel free to name your worst player too 😂
That display at Old Trafford was not good enough, and Eddie Howe responded by making four changes to his starting XI.
One of those changes was a bold decision, but it paid off for the Newcastle United manager.
Nick Pope justifies Eddie Howe’s faith in him
With Nick Pope back from his injury, there was a feeling that it was just a matter of time before he replaced Aaron Ramsdale in the starting XI.
That happened at Turf Moor, with Pope restored to the starting lineup to face his former club. He was unable to keep a clean sheet, but he certainly justified his selection.
- Who is Nick Pope? Get to know the Newcastle United No.1 goalkeeper
Pope made some important saves to protect Newcastle United’s lead over Burnley. Most importantly, they were the kind of saves that Ramsdale was not always making during his run in the side.
It was far from a world class display from the 33-year-old, but he proved why he is fundamentally a better goalkeeper than Ramsdale on Tuesday night. He made key saves at key moments, helping the Magpies climb into the top half of the Premier League table.
While the goalkeeper situation still needs to be resolved long-term, Howe was right to recall Pope.
If you could voice one concern to Eddie Howe about Newcastle United right now, what would it be?
Yes, I know we won, but let's not pretend that was great 😂
The next time Aaron Ramsdale could start for Newcastle United
Ramsdale had the chance to move up the pecking order above Pope, but blew it.
Now he is back on the bench, but he might not have to wait too long for another chance to feature.
The loanee’s next Newcastle United appearance could come on 9th January, which is when the Magpies face Bournemouth in the third round of the FA Cup. Eddie Howe is likely to make a lot of changes for that game, one of which should see Ramsdale return.
However, the only way he will get another run in the Newcastle United starting XI is if Pope suffers another injury between now and the end of the season. Unfortunately for him, Ramsdale is very much Newcastle’s second-choice goalkeeper.
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