‘I don’t think’ - Eddie Howe responds to Pep Guardiola’s Newcastle United fixture complaint

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has sympathy for Manchester City over their busy start to the 2023-24 season - but doesn’t believe it will impact the result when the two sides meet at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night (kick-off 8pm).

Howe’s side have had a week to prepare for the trip to last season’s Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup winners, whereas City were in Athens on Wednesday night to add the UEFA Super Cup to their trophy cabinet following a 5-4 penalty shootout win over Sevilla.

That means City have had just two full days to prepare for the visit of the Magpies, which has irritated Guardiola.

Speaking on Wednesday night, the former Barcelona man said: “Of course, tomorrow we will be even happier than today, recovering [having had] not one drop of alcohol.

“[We need to] recover as much as possible because, again, from Greece, thank you so much to the Premier League for letting us play on Saturday, and not on Sunday and Monday. Thank you so much.”

Howe understands Guardiola’s point of view but doesn’t expect it to have a bearing on the result.

The Magpies boss said: “I’ve been in this situation before. For me, there is no advantage in the sense of a quick turnaround in games. I’ve been on both sides.

“When we’ve played a lot of games in a short space of time you think’ maybe is that a weakness for us’ and we’ve won games from that situation. But we’ve also lost games in that situation.

“I think it’ll come down to how we perform on the day and how they perform on the day. I understand the way he’s thinking about it but I don’t think it’ll have any relevance to the result.”

Asked if he sympathised with Guardiola, Howe told NewcastleWorld: "Absolutely, especially as they were the only team playing in midweek but we’d love that problem for ourselves because they’ve won the Champions League - the ultimate competition to win.

“I do feel for him in a sense of the scheduling but there’s nothing we can do about that."

After watching City lift the Super Cup, Howe said: “I think it consolidated a lot of what I already thought of Manchester City. They are the standard bearers and have been for a long time in the Premier League of where other teams need to get to.

“I saw a team hugely motivated to win which is the biggest compliment I can pay the team off the back of winning the treble and everything that brings. They went into a tough game and were desperate to win.

“You could see their reactions afterwards so this is a team that will not be complacent. They will be ready for us so we expect a really good game.”