Eddie Howe responds to upset Arsenal after leaving Mikel Arteta raging

Eddie Howe has insisted Newcastle don’t care if they upset opponents - because they play hard but fair.

After their controversial battle against Arsenal which had Mikel Arteta raging, his captain refusing to shake hands, and a Gunners’ club statement, Howe praised the way he players “dealt with the situation.”

Newcastle arrived in Dortmund on Monday night for a key Group F fixture with just 16 first team players available and 12 out injured. Dan Burn is the latest long term victim, out for two months with a damaged back. Howe has backed his first team stars to compete on all fronts without the luxury of much squad rotation.

After Jamaal Lascelles said he was “fuming” because Jorginho refused to shake hands, Howe said: “I’ve got no desire to upset anybody, just to try and win.

“However we do that, I’ve got no issue with, as long as we do it within the spirit of the game. We are competitive. We’re hugely ambitious and full compliment to the players on how they handled Saturday.

“You can see that from how we’ve performed, the spirit within the group. I think the players have handled themselves magnificently in difficult situations. I think we play fair and we will do the same again.

“We're not intentionally ruffling any feathers. I want the players to stand up for each other, I want them to play competitive football. I want us to be strong in certain moments, which we have to be, and I think we did all of those things on Saturday.”

Defender Fabian Schar admitted there were “things off the pitch” at the weekend. He added: “Sometimes, you play nice football, and sometimes, like Saturday, you have games that are really tight and intense, a lot of fouls. There were things off the pitch too, but I don’t really care.”

Newcastle are on a