Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has praised Nick Pope and Joe Willock for their roles in Newcastle United’s 1-0 victory over Chelsea on Saturday.

Howe said: “We just edged it in terms of getting a goal. We’re indebted to Nick Pope with his save, but Joe Willock produced a moment of magic for us.

“We needed to step up to try and win the game. I thought both defences played very well. Thankfully Joe has come up with a great goal, but we were committed to everything today. The physical demands of that game were so high.

“I feel immense pride at how the players have performed consistently. Now the challenge is to maintain and enhance that. We’ll focus on what we think we can improve as a team. Hopefully the boys can come back from the World Cup in good spirits.

“I’ll enjoy maybe a few days off, but then the challenge is to come back and make sure we hit the ground running.”