But it might have been so completely different.
Newcastle might have been feeling the consequences of taking part in with 10 males for thus lengthy in a spirited midweek win against Manchester United.
However Newcastle began this fifth-round tie like a facet who recognised that the FA Cup was not solely their greatest probability of profitable silverware this season.
It was additionally their most blatant route again into Europe at a time when Howe’s workforce lie in twelfth place within the Premier League.
Newcastle shortly received the gang into the sport with their vitality and intent.
Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford and defender Matheus Nunes uncharacteristically booted the ball out of play because the hosts pressed excessive.
Maybe, most crucially, Newcastle grabbed the opening objective as Harvey Barnes fired his facet in entrance with a effective curling effort.
It felt like a well-recognized script for Guardiola, who had beforehand seen Barnes rating twice in a 2-1 win towards his facet at this very stadium again in November.
“The primary 15, 20 minutes at all times occurs,” he mentioned. “We discuss that. We couldn’t management.”
Simply because the guests rallied, although, Newcastle dropped deeper and deeper, and couldn’t get out of their half.
The Magpies have been pinned again by Metropolis, who dominated possession and repeatedly performed their approach via the hosts’ midfield.
“The best way they play and the way good they’re technically, they took a stranglehold of the ball,” Howe mentioned.
“After we received it again, we gave it away too simply, possibly wanting too vertical and never horizontal sufficient at instances.
“As quickly as you make a technical mistake, you are not seeing the ball for lengthy durations after which your vitality simply drains away. That is why they’ve been the perfect workforce for thus lengthy.”
