Eddie Howe says Man City are ‘the best team’ that Newcastle have faced this season

Eddie Howe has warned Arsenal that Manchester City are getting back to their best form under Pep Guardiola after Newcastle United’s FA Cup exit.

City ran out deserving 3-1 winners over Newcastle in the FA Cup fifth round at St James’ Park on Saturday night to secure their place in the quarter-final draw.

Harvey Barnes had given Newcastle the lead in the 18th minute but City equalised through Savinho before a second-half double from Omar Marmoush sealed the win for Guardiola’s men.

Meanwhile, City currently sit seven points behind Arsenal in the Premier League table after they were held at home to a 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest earlier this week.

But Howe believes City are now hitting top form and claims Guardiola’s side have been ‘the best team’ Newcastle have faced this season.

‘I think that they [City] made changes to their team but I think you see the strength in depth that they have and they possess,’ Howe said after Newcastle’s defeat.

Omar Marmoush scored twice to seal Man City’s 3-1 win over Newcastle in the FA Cup (Reuters)

‘I think that was probably a step too far for us today against them when they’re in that mood, I thought they were excellent and we fell away in the game.

‘We seemed to lose our energy but they do that to you because they keep the ball so well, they make you run, they make you chase, then you’re tired and you make another technical mistake and you’re chasing again.

‘They’ve done that for years. That’s why, for me, they’ve been the best team that we’ve continually faced and today I thought they were in a really good place and we just fell out of energy.

‘I don’t think it was necessarily a tactical problem for us, it was more the way they play and how good they are technically. They took a stranglehold of the ball and when we got it back we gave it away too easily, maybe looking too vertical and not horizontal enough at times.

‘Then as soon as you make a technical mistake against them you’re not seeing the ball again for long periods and then your energy just drains away.

‘That’s why they’ve been the best team for so long and I think they’re coming back into the type of form that makes them that team again. They’re evolving into a different version of what they’ve been before but very, very effective.’