Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe watches on during the win over Leicester City _(Image: Owen Humphreys)_
EDDIE Howe hailed his [Newcastle United](http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/football/newcastle) players for delivering "under pressure" - describing the emphatic victory over Leicester City as a "big win".
Howe and his players have been under fire after a four-game winless stretch but responded in style with a 4-0 thumping of the Foxes, with Jacob Murphy scoring the first and last goals and Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak also on target.
It was a dominant home display and a deserved win, with [Newcastle](https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/football/newcastleunited/) having 27 shots on goal, and sets the Magpies up for the Carabao Cup quarter final clash against Brentford this week.
“Yes, it's a big win," said boss Howe.
"It's a big win for a lot of reasons, but I think this week with two home games and the importance of both games, to start well gives us a massive lift.
“It was important we responded to the Brentford performance in the right way – I thought we did. Right from the start of the game, I thought we looked engaged, mentally switched-on, able to give a really good athletic performance and technical performance.
“I thought we had a bit of everything today, good attacking, good defending. I think there were a lot of positive responses to the disappointment of last week."
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Howe and his players received their fair share of criticism after last week's Brentford defeat, which led the head coach to admit: "I thought there was a lot of pressure on the players today, that wasn't lost on me.
"You go from that performance last week, everything set up today for us to answer a lot of questions.
“But you've still got to deliver it and you're playing against a very dangerous team with a new manager, so a great response, really, in that pressurised moment and good signs for us mentally because you've got to deal with that pressure.
“The first goal was important because we'd knocked on the door with a number of chances; we hadn't taken them. It took a really well-worked set-play on the first two goals, really, and it goes to show the importance of those moments.
“I was really pleased with the first two goals."