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The Newcastle manager had tested various strategies.

The Newcastle United head coach previously deployed sides who pressed Manchester City aggressively. Other formations saw his team sitting back defensively. Different systems were tested, but none yielded victory.

It reached the point where Howe was only partially joking when he stated "we don't have anything new left" before Saturday's match.

But he discovered a solution.

After suffering a disappointing defeat at Brentford prior to the international break, Newcastle required a response, Howe and his team devised a tactical plan to secure their first victory against Manchester City.

And their planning proved successful following a 2-1 victory at an electric St James' Park as Howe secured his first top-flight victory against Pep Guardiola's team at his 17th attempt.

"My records show numerous failed strategies against City, making clear what doesn't work," Howe revealed. "Telling you what does is a very small piece of paper, but you just try and learn from experience and just tweak something the next time. That was our methodology."

'I don't believe in radical overhauls'

The foundation was established in the days following Newcastle's 3-1 defeat at Brentford this month.

The manager invested extensive time studying video, evaluating practice sessions and looking for answers to their irregular season.

With a smaller squad during the international period, the team worked on restoring "their vitality and movement".

Important modifications were made specifically for the City match.

Bruno Guimaraes was deployed centrally in midfield, a role previously held by Sandro Tonali, as full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento began a match together for the first time in months and proved highly influential.

Fabian Schar also made his first top-flight start in two months, replacing centre-back Sven Botman.

Despite the changes, Howe avoided dramatic overhauls and preserved his trusted 4-3-3 setup with two of the three lineup changes being necessitated by injuries to Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon.

The majority of players who featured at Brentford and, indeed, in the damaging defeat at West Ham, were given opportunities to redeem themselves.

"I don't agree with completely overhauling systems," Howe declared. "Only in crisis situations would I consider drastic changes, which this isn't, and that's not my approach.

"I possess strong insight into our top talent and strive to create optimal conditions for their development by supporting them and facilitating their growth."

Barnes Delivers When It Matters

Nevertheless, adjustments were clearly necessary.

Only the struggling offenses of Wolves and Leeds had produced fewer goals than Newcastle this season.

High-profile acquisition Nick Woltemade had looked disconnected, receiving inadequate support, especially on the road.

Although Woltemade was away with Germany during the international break, Newcastle worked on different movements of players around the forward featuring Barnes and Jacob Murphy, to optimize his contribution after his international commitment.

Newcastle certainly created opportunities for Woltemade on Saturday, who was denied on three occasions by Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

However, while Newcastle previously relied too heavily on Woltemade, additional squad members have started making important contributions.

Particularly Barnes.

The attacker squandered important chances in the opening period - including missing an empty net - and confessed he wasn't "the fan favorite" during the break.

However, Barnes not only broke the deadlock with a superb strike from distance after halftime, he secured victory moments after City leveled through Ruben Dias.

Newcastle previously led against Arsenal, Brentford and West Ham only to ultimately lose.

But they didn't collapse when Manchester City equalized or, indeed, after eight minutes of stoppage time were added.

This was an evening when Newcastle won more tackles and aerial duels, and made more blocks than their opponents.

While City dominated the ball, inevitably skewing the numbers, Newcastle defended resolutely with 36 clearances and limited City to only four accurate shots.

The defensive display caught the attention of ex-Newcastle player Jonathan Woodgate.

"Defensively they were outstanding, making it extremely challenging for City to exploit gaps in midfield," he commented during radio coverage. "In the second period I judged them the dominant team, frequently exposing City in transition and finishing with two excellent Barnes strikes. What a spectacular game."

Home Dominance Continues

Nevertheless, is this outcome at a vibrant St James' Park truly astonishing?

Just Manchester City (13) have secured more home Premier League victories than Newcastle (11) this year.

From the start of the previous campaign, Newcastle have recorded eight victories, two draws and only two defeats at home against top opponents including City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, United and Spurs.

However, away from home, Newcastle haven't triumphed in the top flight since April.

This explains why the team were just a single point above the relegation zone before Saturday's significant victory.

"Although I wish to state that atmosphere shouldn't impact gameplay, it fundamentally alters proceedings," Howe acknowledged. "We need to identify methods to generate momentum in away matches without fan assistance.

"This problem requires our solution, whether through formation tweaks, selection alterations. Whatever the solution, we must work diligently to find answers."