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Howe had tried numerous approaches.

Previously, Howe had sent out teams that applied intense pressure against Manchester City. He fielded others who adopted deeper defensive positions. Various tactical setups were attempted, none proving successful.

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.

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.

The strategy paid dividends with a 2-1 win in front of a passionate home crowd giving Howe his maiden win over Guardiola's Manchester City in league competition.

"I have extensive documentation of unsuccessful approaches against them, so I know what to avoid," Howe stated. "The list of effective methods is brief, but we continuously learn and refine our approach. That was our methodology."

'Strategic evolution over revolution'

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, with returning defenders Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento making their first joint start since autumn and creating a significant difference.

Fabian Schar returned to the starting lineup for the first time in two months, taking Sven Botman's position.

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'm against making wholesale changes," 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'm confident in identifying our best performers and aim to give them maximum chances to showcase their abilities through guidance and development opportunities."

Barnes Steps Up Crucial Moments

However, transformation was undoubtedly required.

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

Record signing Nick Woltemade had appeared isolated, with limited service, particularly in away matches.

Despite Woltemade's absence with the German national team, the squad developed new supporting movements for their forward such as Barnes and Jacob Murphy, to maximize his effectiveness upon return.

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

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.

But not only did Barnes open the scoring with an excellent effort from the edge of the area in the second half, he delivered the winner just minutes after Manchester City equalized through Ruben Dias.

Newcastle had been ahead versus Arsenal, Brentford and West Ham but surrendered their leads.

Yet they remained resilient after City's equalizer and throughout eight minutes of added time.

This performance saw Newcastle dominate physical battles, winning more challenges and defensive actions.

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.

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

"Out of possession they were exceptional and created significant difficulties when City attempted to find spaces between the lines," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "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."

St James' Stronghold

However, should this victory at a illuminated St James' Park be considered completely unexpected?

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

Beginning last season, the Magpies have achieved eight wins, two draws and merely two losses at St James' Park versus elite Premier League opposition.

Yet in away matches, Newcastle have failed to win a Premier League game since April.

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

"While I'd like to assert that supporters shouldn't affect player performance, it completely changes dynamics," Howe conceded. "We need to identify methods to generate momentum in away matches without fan assistance.

"This is our challenge to address, whether via tactical modifications, roster decisions. Whatever the solution, we must work diligently to find answers."