“It was very good. I don’t know whether it was the complete performance,” Howe said.
“We are always looking to find things to improve. I’m delighted with the players.
“We started really well and got the goal early. That settled us down and we played some good football after that. It shows you the players were very motivated for the game. They were hungry for goals and success.
“I think we’ve got a motivated group. I see good character traits through the whole squad. It’s a long season for us, we’ve got a lot of challenges to come but certainly the last week has been a return to form for us.”
Newcastle, who finished fourth last season, are eighth on nine points after six games in the current campaign, nine points behind leaders Manchester City.
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