Eddie Howe hailed one of the best results of Newcastle United's season as they recorded a 1-0 win at West Ham United on Monday night to move into the top six of the Premier League.
Bruno Guimaraes struck the only goal of the game at the London Stadium as Howe's side picked up three points to stay firmly in the race for a UEFA Champions League spot.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
28 | +17 | 49 |
| 5 |
Man City
MCI
|
28 | +15 | 47 |
| 6 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
28 | +9 | 47 |
| 7 |
Brighton
BHA
|
28 | +6 | 46 |
| 8 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
29 | -4 | 45 |
| 9 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
28 | +13 | 44 |
"One of our best wins of the season, not in terms of performance but desire and heart," Howe told BBC Sport.
"[We showed] All the big ingredients you need to be a successful team. Need to win when the game is tight and find a way to get over the line.
"We defended really well after the first three minutes which were a bit scary and deserved to win."
Focus can now switch to Wembley final
Howe was also delighted at his team's focus with Newcastle due to face Liverpool in the EFL Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.
"That’s why for me it was such a good win, it would be easy for the players to be distracted but they were present," he said.
"I felt we were in need of a win to go into the final with a real boost and lift. It will do us the world of good. Also for our league table position today was vital."
Matchwinner Guimaraes was equally delighted with both the result and performance at the London Stadium.
"[It's a] Massive win, I think we want to fight for the Champions League again. It was a big win for us," said Guimaraes.
“It's good to keep the clean sheet and get the confidence back before the final. Massive win and happy for the team's performance.
“When we play like that, we show the character of the team. We can beat any team in the world. We just have to be consistent. We keep the clean sheet, we could score more goals, but the most important thing is the three points tonight."
