Eddie Howe Dismisses Mikel Arteta's Backhanded Compliment After Newcastle Win

Howe: 'We're Not Interested in Moral Victories'

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has dismissed Mikel Arteta's backhanded compliment following his side's 2-0 win over Arsenal on Monday.

Speaking after the match, Arteta had said that Newcastle were "a very good team" but that Arsenal had been "the better team on the day".

Howe, however, was not interested in such compliments, saying that his team were only interested in winning.

"We're not interested in moral victories," Howe said. "We want to win every game we play, and we're not going to be satisfied with just playing well.

"We're pleased with the win, but we know there's still a lot of room for improvement."

Newcastle's win over Arsenal was their first in the Premier League since August, and it moved them up to 17th in the table.

Arsenal, meanwhile, remain top of the table, but their lead has been cut to five points.

The two teams will meet again in the FA Cup fourth round on January 9.