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Eddie Howe had exhausted all options.

The Newcastle United head coach previously deployed sides who pressed Manchester City aggressively. He tried alternative approaches with teams that dropped deeper. Various tactical setups were attempted, none proving successful.

The situation had deteriorated to where Howe half-seriously claimed "we've exhausted our options" pre-game.

However, he uncovered an effective approach.

After suffering a disappointing defeat at Brentford prior to the international break, Newcastle required a response, Howe and his coaching staff developed a strategy to finally overcome Manchester City in the Premier League.

Their approach worked perfectly, resulting in a 2-1 triumph at a vibrant St James' Park giving Howe his maiden win over Guardiola's Manchester City in league competition.

"I've got lists and lists of things that haven't worked against them so I could probably tell you what doesn't," Howe explained. "Identifying successful tactics requires minimal documentation, but we learn from each experience and make adjustments. This was our process."

'I don't believe in radical overhauls'

The groundwork began after Newcastle's recent 3-1 loss at Brentford.

Howe dedicated countless hours analyzing match footage, reviewing training sessions and seeking solutions to what has been an inconsistent campaign.

Despite having fewer players available, Newcastle concentrated on regaining "their dynamism and physicality" during the break.

Some significant tactical changes were introduced against Manchester City.

Bruno Guimaraes was deployed centrally in midfield, a role previously held by Sandro Tonali, while returning full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento started together for the first time since September and made a substantial impact.

Fabian Schar also made his first top-flight start in two months, replacing centre-back Sven Botman.

Despite the changes, Howe avoided dramatic overhauls and preserved his trusted 4-3-3 setup while two adjustments were enforced due to the absence of injured players Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon.

The majority of players who featured at Brentford and, indeed, in the damaging defeat at West Ham, were given opportunities to redeem themselves.

"I'm against making wholesale changes," Howe declared. "Only in crisis situations would I consider drastic changes, which this isn't, and that's not my approach.

"I possess strong insight into our top talent and strive to create optimal conditions for their development by assisting them and encouraging their progress."

Barnes Rises to the Occasion

Nevertheless, adjustments were clearly necessary.

Only struggling Wolves and Leeds United had scored fewer goals than Newcastle in the top flight before this match.

Record signing Nick Woltemade had appeared isolated, with limited service, particularly in away matches.

Although Woltemade was away with Germany during the international break, Newcastle worked on different movements of players around the forward including Barnes and Jacob Murphy, to enhance his performance when he rejoined the team.

Newcastle manufactured several scoring opportunities for Woltemade, but the City goalkeeper produced three important stops.

However, while Newcastle previously relied too heavily on Woltemade, additional squad members have started making important contributions.

Particularly Barnes.

The attacker squandered important chances in the opening period - including missing an empty net - and confessed he wasn't "the fan favorite" during the break.

Yet Barnes didn't just score the opener with a quality finish from range in the second period, he netted the decider shortly after City drew level via Ruben Dias.

Newcastle had been ahead versus Arsenal, Brentford and West Ham but surrendered their leads.

But they didn't collapse when Manchester City equalized or, indeed, after eight minutes of stoppage time were added.

This performance saw Newcastle dominate physical battles, winning more challenges and defensive actions.

Although Manchester City controlled possession, which naturally affects the statistics, Newcastle stood firm and made nearly twice as many clearances (36) and restricted the visitors to just four shots on target.

This defensive effort was praised by former Magpies defender Jonathan Woodgate.

"Defensively they were outstanding, making it extremely challenging for City to exploit gaps in midfield," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "In the second period I judged them the dominant team, frequently exposing City in transition and finishing with two excellent Barnes strikes. What a spectacular game."

Home Dominance Continues

Yet should this result under the lights at St James' necessarily come as a massive surprise?

Only City (13) have collected more home league wins than Newcastle (11) in the current season.

Beginning last season, the Magpies have achieved eight wins, two draws and merely two losses at St James' Park versus elite Premier League opposition.

Yet in away matches, Newcastle have failed to win a Premier League game since April.

This clarifies why they sat merely one point above the drop zone before Saturday's crucial result.

"As much as I'd prefer to claim the crowd shouldn't influence on-field performance, it transforms everything," Howe acknowledged. "We need to identify methods to generate momentum in away matches without fan assistance.

"That's our responsibility to resolve, whether through system adjustments, personnel changes. Regardless of the approach, we need to commit to finding remedies."