Eddie Howe praised his Newcastle United facet for taking “an enormous step in the correct path” after they sought to go away a troublesome begin to the season behind with a dominant Champions League win.
Newcastle defeated Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0 in Brussels, with a penalty double from Anthony Gordon and targets from Nick Woltemade and Harvey Barnes giving the Magpies their largest ever victory within the competitors.
It was a well timed win for Howe’s facet, who returned to European motion off the again of a “painful” late Premier League defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.
“That was precisely what we’d have wished, particularly after the Arsenal ending,” Howe instructed a post-match press convention.
“That was an enormous response from the gamers, as a result of that was a painful option to lose that sport.
“The gamers needed to look deep inside themselves and are available out combating once more. That’s what we do greatest.”
The Arsenal match was Newcastle’s sixth within the Premier League this season, of which they’ve nonetheless received just one.
Targets have been a selected difficulty, however there have been indicators on Wednesday of confidence returning to Howe’s attackers.
Union Saint-Gilloise 0-4 Newcastle
Newcastle blew Union Saint-Gilloise away of their second UEFA Champions League sport of 2025-26, profitable 4-0 in Belgium to safe their first factors of the league section. pic.twitter.com/mOUysYdMJ5
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) October 1, 2025
Woltemade has three targets in 4 begins and have become the primary Newcastle participant to internet on each his first Premier League begin and first Champions League begin for the membership.
In the meantime, Gordon, who scored within the prior defeat to Barcelona, grew to become simply the third Newcastle participant to internet in consecutive Champions League matches.
The England winger has three targets from 4 pictures in Europe in comparison with no targets from 17 pictures in home motion, however Howe hopes all of his gamers will profit from the massive win forward of Sunday’s conflict with Nottingham Forest.
“Hopefully it helps us once we return to the Premier League, as a result of we’ve been ready for a efficiency like that actually,” Howe stated.
“We regarded like we might rating at any second.
“It wasn’t an ideal efficiency, there’s issues we might enhance, however it was an enormous step in the correct path.
“It’s an necessary stage as nicely within the Champions League, as a result of we have now to begin nicely. These competitions are so excessive, the calls for are so massive on us, that if we’re gradual starters, we might go away ourselves an excessive amount of to do.
“I definitely go away in a a lot more healthy, constructive state of mind and looking out ahead to the following sport.”
Union SG coach Sebastien Pocognli instructed UEFA: “I’m happy with my crew. They fought and even at 3-0 down they didn’t quit. Newcastle had been simply on one other degree.”