What Eddie Howe simply must do as Newcastle United re-find their ‘nastiness’

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Newcastle United are hoping that they are very much back, after an inconsistent start to the Premier League season.

For the first time in the Premier League this season, Newcastle United played well well and won. The Magpies beat Arsenal 1-0, with Alexander Isak scoring the only goal of the game.

It was an outstanding header from Isak, while Newcastle defended brilliantly to fend off Arsenal and dent their Premier League title hopes.

Newcastle had much better balance in midfield, with Joelinton and Joe Willock dovetailing brilliantly down the left. Meanwhile, Alan Shearer thought Newcastle had that ‘nastiness’ back in their game that previously made them so difficult to play against.

It was great to see Newcastle pick up a really important three points against a side as strong as Arsenal. The hope is that it can be a turning point in the Magpies’ season, but that will largely depend on how the next few games go.

Newcastle United have done very well against the ‘big six’

Newcastle have put in some good performances this season. They were outstanding against Arsenal, while they also impressed when Manchester City arrived at St James’ Park.

And while the performance was not very good, Newcastle were able to beat Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the season.

Eddie Howe‘s side have played four games against the ‘big six’, and have picked up seven points. That is a great return, and accounts for almost half of the Magpies’ total points tally.

Newcastle have shown they can handle themselves against the big boys. The days of rolling over against the elite are over, as Howe continues to ensure that his team compete with the best.

And while that is great to see, it counts for nothing if Newcastle are unable to match that level of performance against the rest of the Premier League.

What Newcastle United must do now in the Premier League

Now Newcastle have a run of three games against teams who they should be beating if they want to qualify for the Champions League.

Obviously the Nottingham Forest game is a little bit of an anomaly, as they are performing much better than anyone anticipated.

But they are a team that Newcastle should fancy themselves against, especially given the fact they have won three games in a row at the City Ground.

Then the Magpies face two sides that are struggling – West Ham United and Crystal Palace.

These are the type of games that will define where Newcastle finish this season. Howe’s side cannot afford to only be up for it when the ‘big six’ are in town. You have got to beat the teams around you, which is an area that let Newcastle down last season.

While the Magpies celebrated famous wins over Manchester United and Arsenal, they failed to secure victory against the likes of Luton Town, Bournemouth and Everton.

Newcastle have got their nastiness back, and showed they can be winners against Arsenal. Now they need to do it on a consistent basis, and find a way to go on a run of positive results.