Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has ensured his squad stay cool, calm and collected ahead of the huge clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
Howe refused to panic in the direct aftermath of the 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa and he was right in doing so as within a couple of hours, Spurs had also lost to AFC Bournemouth. The visit of Cristian Stellini's side should hardly fill Newcastle fans with fear given they have conceded eight goals in the last four matches and thrown away the lead in games on numerous occasions.
Victory on Sunday against the caretaker manager Stellini's side would increase the gap over Spurs to six points and also lift Newcastle into third place with Manchester United in FA Cup semi-final action against Brighton this weekend. Howe has spoken about his approach to the club's first defeat in six matches.
READ MORE: Sean Longstaff's absence explained as Eddie Howe also offers Allan Saint-Maximin update
He said: "That’s where, for me, being level, as I am in all moments, with success or failure, is hugely important. Things can change very quickly in both moments, so I think you need a very level head.
"You just need to analyse what you’ve seen, and then go to work to make it better."
Meanwhile, Spurs sent a player that Howe knows well out to face the media after they were beaten in the last minute against Bournemouth. It was ex-Cherries star Arnaut Danjuma who summed up the London club's approach to the clash against Newcastle and said: "Newcastle have dropped some points. Obviously, we’ve dropped some points against Bournemouth.
"We had a big chance, but it wasn’t meant to be. We’ve got a good training week ahead of us, we need to make sure we switch each other on, make sure we find our togetherness and make sure we bring those three points back home from up north."
