Eddie Howe didn’t just chase a result on Wednesday, February 18, 2026; he revived a long-lost tradition of English football. By naming his starting XI for the Champions League knockout play-off against Qarabag, Newcastle United became the first team in 28 years to start seven or more English players in a Champions League knockout tie.
The last time this happened? March 18, 1998, when Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United faced Monaco in the quarter-finals.
The Newcastle "Magnificent Seven" (2026)
Despite a grueling 4,000km trip to Azerbaijan, Howe leaned on the domestic core that has defined his tenure. The seven English starters who orchestrated the 6–1 demolition of Qarabag were:
Nick Pope (GK) 🧤
Kieran Trippier (RB) 🎯
Dan Burn (CB) 🧱
Lewis Hall (LB) 🏃♂️
Joe Willock (CM) ⚡
Harvey Barnes (LW) 🏹
Anthony Gordon (ST) ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️
The "Gordon" Record: Not only did he start, but Anthony Gordon scored four goals in the first half—becoming only the second English player to reach double digits in a single UCL campaign (joining Harry Kane).
The 1998 Parallel: Manchester United vs. Monaco
Back in 1997/98, before the era of multi-national "super squads," Manchester United fielded eight English players in their quarter-final second leg:
Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Gary Pallister, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Andy Cole, and Teddy Sheringham.
Since that night, English clubs have dominated the competition but usually with rosters dominated by global talent. Newcastle’s lineup represents a significant shift back to a core identity that fans at St. James' Park have long clamored for.
Why It Matters: The "Howe" Philosophy
Homegrown Resilience: Amidst a sea of injuries to stars like Bruno Guimarães and Sven Botman, Howe’s reliance on English talent isn't just a necessity—it’s a strategy.
National Identity: With Thomas Tuchel watching ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Newcastle is effectively acting as an unofficial "England B" squad on the European stage.
Tactical Synergy: The chemistry between the English core (particularly the Gordon-Barnes-Willock trio) was the catalyst for the fastest UCL hat-trick by an Englishman in history.
The Verdict: While the 6–1 scoreline all but secures a place in the Round of 16, the real story is the identity of this Newcastle side.
They aren't just winning; they're doing it with a squad that looks remarkably like the great English sides of the past.