Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe claims that one of his players had very little to do during their 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday.
Despite a win effectively securing Champions League qualification, the Magpies lost ground to those around them with the defeat at the Emirates Stadium.
A second-half goal from Declan Rice was enough to ensure Newcastle United went back to the North East empty-handed and with it all to do on the final game of the season.
Alexander Isak missed the Arsenal game with a groin issue, so Callum Wilson replaced him. However, Wilson went mainly unseen against Arsenal and failed to register a single shot before being taken off.
Elsewhere, Bruno Guimaraes believes Newcastle deserved more from the loss after they had several big chances saved by David Raya in the first half. Newcastle co-owner Jamie Reuben agreed with Guimaraes in his message to fans and thanked them for their continued support.
While the likes of Wilson and Anthony Gordon are criticised for their performances, Eddie Howe has stated that one player had almost nothing to do during the defeat.
Photo by Cameron Smith - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by Cameron Smith – Danehouse/Getty Images
Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope has been much improved in recent weeks after a shaky return from injury in early 2025.
After a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool, Newcastle fans were less than happy with Pope for his performance. However, a fantastic effort during the Carabao Cup final and more clean sheets have given Howe a renewed sense of confidence that Pope is rightfully Newcastle’s starting goalkeeper for the remainder of the season.
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Pope was unfortunate to concede his goal on Sunday, with Rice connecting well with the ball to find the far bottom corner. Even Howe said that he had a quiet game given the circumstances.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Howe said: “We came under pressure at the start of the second half and you need to ride that storm and we had. Declan Rice produces that spectacular finish from that range. We did everything we could to get a goal.
“From our perspective, we got too passive and became a little bit sloppy on the ball. We’ll learn from that. You do have times like that away from home.
“We have to take all the positives from that first half performance. We looked strong. Nick [Pope] didn’t have too much to do.”
The game itself was a very feisty one, especially towards the end. Before the full-time whistle blew, a brawl erupted inside the penalty area, with Dan Burn one of the main aggressors.
The pressure will be on Pope to put in another good performance against Everton at St James’ Park to get Newcastle back into the Champions League.
Nick Pope’s future at Newcastle United
With sporting director Paul Mitchell set to welcome new faces to the club this summer, fans have been left wondering what the future holds for certain players.
From Pope’s perspective, he is set to have some fresh competition next season with reports suggesting James Trafford will be moving to Newcastle during the summer transfer window.
Trafford wants to play Premier League football next season, and he will have that with Burnley. However, the shot-stopper would also have the option of playing in Europe for Newcastle if he opted to join next season.
The feeling is that Trafford wants first-team guarantees to join Newcastle, but it remains to be seen whether he will have that opportunity with Pope still at the club.
Pope has been linked with a move to Leeds United this summer, where he would link up with former Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow.