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Howe had tried numerous approaches.

Newcastle's manager had experimented with high-pressing tactics against City. Other formations saw his team sitting back defensively. He experimented with multiple formations, all without positive results.

Howe was barely exaggerating when he said "we've tried everything" ahead of the weekend fixture.

However, he uncovered an effective approach.

When Newcastle desperately needed a positive result, following a difficult loss at Brentford before the international break, The Newcastle management created a blueprint to finally defeat Guardiola's team.

And their planning proved successful following a 2-1 victory at an electric St James' Park giving Howe his maiden win over Guardiola's Manchester City in league competition.

"I've got lists and lists of things that haven't worked against them so I could probably tell you what doesn't," 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. This was our process."

'I don't believe in radical overhauls'

The groundwork began after Newcastle's recent 3-1 loss at Brentford.

Howe dedicated countless hours analyzing match footage, reviewing training sessions and seeking solutions to what has been an inconsistent campaign.

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

Some significant tactical changes were introduced against Manchester City.

Skipper Bruno Guimaraes took up a central midfield position, replacing Sandro Tonali who had occupied that spot, while returning full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento started together for the first time since September and made a substantial impact.

Defender Fabian Schar earned his first league start since autumn, coming in for 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.

Most of the squad members who played at Brentford and during the disappointing West Ham loss received chances to make amends.

"I don't support the idea of tearing everything down," Howe stated. "Unless you're in absolute panic mode, which we're not, and I don't believe in that style of leadership anyway.

"I possess strong insight into our top talent and strive to create optimal conditions for their development through guidance and development opportunities."

Barnes Steps Up Crucial Moments

Something clearly needed to change, however.

Only struggling Wolves and Leeds United had scored fewer goals than Newcastle in the top flight before this match.

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

Despite Woltemade's absence with the German national team, the squad developed new supporting movements for their forward including Barnes and Jacob Murphy, to enhance his performance when he rejoined the team.

Newcastle manufactured several scoring opportunities for Woltemade, but the City goalkeeper produced three important stops.

Although Newcastle had become too Woltemade-focused, other attackers have emerged as reliable options.

Notably 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.

However, they maintained composure when City drew level and during eight additional minutes.

The match featured Newcastle outperforming City in defensive statistics, including tackles, headers and blocks.

Although Manchester City controlled possession, which naturally affects the statistics, Newcastle stood firm and made nearly twice as many clearances (36) and restricted the visitors to just four shots on target.

That defensive performance impressed former Newcastle defender Jonathan Woodgate.

"Defensively they were outstanding, making it extremely challenging for City to exploit gaps in midfield," he stated in his broadcast analysis. "Second half I considered them the superior team, consistently catching City on counter-attacks and ultimately scoring two magnificent goals by Barnes. What an enthralling contest."

Home Dominance Continues

Yet should this result under the lights at St James' necessarily come as a massive surprise?

Only City (13) have collected more home league wins than Newcastle (11) in the current season.

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.

Nonetheless, on their travels, Newcastle haven't secured a league victory since spring.

This clarifies why they sat merely one point above the drop zone before Saturday's crucial result.

"Although I wish to state that atmosphere shouldn't impact gameplay, it fundamentally alters proceedings," Howe admitted. "We have to discover ways to create positivity in road games without spectator backing.

"This problem requires our solution, whether through formation tweaks, selection alterations. Regardless of the approach, we need to commit to finding remedies."