Howe takes on Newcastle in relief of Carabao Cup defence.

Despite the chances their opponents had, there was a feeling around St James’ Park that Rayan Cherki’s late goal signaled the end of Newcastle’s Carabao Cup defense.

The Magpies continued to push for an equalizer and Man City eventually scored their second goal of the night, paying the price for an unexpected shock to a tough away trip.

Those on Tyneside will now be tasked with heading to Etihad Airways to attempt an unlikely comeback. From 2-0 down, the Magpies must pull off the ultimate shock at one of the Premier League’s toughest grounds. While the extent of the task is there for all to see, however, Eddie Howe is still full of belief.

He told reporters: “We are still alive, we are still fighting, but it is very difficult to turn things around. It is still possible and football can evoke magical moments.

“Last year we were on the other side of this scoreline. We went to Arsenal and won 2-0, but I felt that game was still alive. It was all about the next goal to equalize. I think it will be the same this time. If we can get the next goal, we are still well ahead.”

“We did enough today to think we could be competitive and physically we weren’t at our best. But I still think we caused them problems. So we’ll have to go with the same mindset again.”

It’s not just on the pitch that the Tyneside club are hoping to upset Man City. According to TeamTalk, Newcastle are also struggling to sign Alex Scott alongside Man City and two other Premier League sides.

Newcastle compete to sign Alex Scott

The Bournemouth midfielder has also attracted interest from Manchester United and Aston Villa, sparking a bidding war between four Premier League teams to sign him.

The Scot could be the next impressive star to leave the Vitality Stadium come summer, following the big-money departure of Antoine Semenyo. Whether it’s Newcastle who are welcoming him with open arms remains to be seen, however.

The £40,000-a-week star has become an England international and a key player for Andoni Iraola on the south coast after Como scout Ben Mattinson described him as “exciting” and “combative”.

The 22-year-old former Bristol City player is likely to get even better with experience, so it is imperative that Newcastle move on as soon as possible before his value skyrockets.