00:01Eddie Howe's Newcastle United recently reignited their European ambitions
00:05with a commanding 6-1 victory over Carabao FK in the Champions League knockout play-off.
00:10After a challenging start to the year that saw the Magpies slip to 10th in the Premier League,
00:15this clinical performance in Baku served as a definitive statement of intent,
00:20securing a massive first-leg advantage and virtually guaranteeing progress to the round of 16.
00:27Yeah, I think there's always those moments when we win and we're able to share with our supporters.
00:31We haven't done it enough away from home. Our away form has been difficult this season.
00:35So to win three games in a row on our travels has been a major boost for us.
00:40I think you could see the confidence levels were very high at the start of the game.
00:43I thought it was an outstanding first-half performance, probably our best in a long time and I'm delighted for
00:47all the players.
00:49How expressed immense pride in the display, particularly praising his side's resilience and tactical discipline.
00:55The match was headlined by Anthony Gordon, who made history by scoring the fastest Champions League hat-trick by an
01:03English player.
01:05How noted that the performance was a big step in the right direction,
01:09highlighting how the team combined defensive solidity with a devastating high-pressure offence that generated a staggering 5.4 expected
01:18goals.
01:19Yeah, I think he's been really good in that position, looking back to the Liverpool game where I thought he
01:24was excellently scored.
01:26He's really, I think, shown that he wants to play there, which is hugely important.
01:30And then he's got the qualities to play that I thought his pressing today was incredible for us.
01:35I think that gave us the platform to build off of the back of his work and a lot of
01:39high-pressing regains,
01:40a lot of counter-attack opportunities for us.
01:41And of course, he's taken the four goals and will get the headlines naturally,
01:45but I thought his all-round game was really strong.
01:47For a manager who has navigated a season plagued by injuries and inconsistency,
01:52seeing his squad look deep within themselves to deliver such a dominant European away win
01:58was the moment of significant vindication.
02:02Just reaffirms our belief that we can be an outstanding team.
02:05When we're at our very best, we can be a match for anybody.
02:08I've always maintained that this season that we can be.
02:12It's, of course, finding this level as much as we can, as consistently as we can.
02:18I think you can see the intense focus from the players who was there from very early in the game,
02:24and then we've got the quality when we're in that kind of mood.
02:27I think it's a really useful time for us to produce a display like this,
02:31to hopefully just tell ourselves that we can be a top team again.
02:38With a push for the domestic top six still alive in a landmark trophy drought
02:42recently broken by their Carabao Cup win,
02:45Newcastle are determined to prove they belong among the continental elites.
02:50The goal now is to translate this European flair back into the Premier League's consistency
02:55as they enter the season's final stretch.
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