Eddie Howe believes the result ‘was probably fair’ after Newcastle ended their season with a 1-1 draw at Chelsea.
Anthony Gordon opened the scoring with his first goal for Newcastle since arriving from Everton in January, before Kieran Trippier’s own goal brought Chelsea level in an entertaining contest at Stamford Bridge.
The draw concluded what has been a memorable season for the Magpies, who end the Premier League campaign fourth in the table and with Champions League qualification assured. Reflecting on their final day performance, Howe believes a draw was a fair result.
“A draw was probably fair,” Howe told BBC’s MOTD. ”I thought we were very good first half, the second half was tough and Chelsea were the better team. I’m delighted with the attitude as we were significantly weakened with a lot of players out through injury. It was a good draw.
“It was an important moment for [Anthony Gordon]. He contributed to that first half, took his goal very well and is a player of undoubted ability. We want that to continue next year
“The away support we’ve had this year has been incredible. A lot has been made of St James’ Park, but the numbers we’ve taken wherever we’ve gone and the noise they create is phenomenal. It was great to perform in front of them today.
“When you achieve [Champions League football] it is the work of everybody. A real unity has been hugely important. We’ll get going again and rise to the challenge after a little break.”
