Rafa Benitez Remaining 'Optimistic' After Newcastle's Spirited 2-1 Loss at Manchester City

Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez is remaining optimistic despite his side's 2-1 loss away at Manchester City which saw the Magpies drop into the bottom three.

Newcastle put up a brave fight at the home of the champions, briefly giving City a scare by equalising on the half hour mark. 

The home side would ultimately prove too strong for Benitez's side, but the defensive effort put in by the Toon should stand them in good stead as the season progresses. 

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Speaking to reporters as quoted by the Northern Echo, Benitez remained upbeat about his side's performances in the Premier League thus far.

He said: “You have to be optimistic because the team was doing well in the last four games, three against three of the best teams in England and we were close. 

"I don’t say we deserved more or less, but we were close. And against Cardiff with ten players, we missed a penalty when we could have got three points.

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The Spaniard also praised his team for their togetherness in their clash against a more talented side.

He added: “I was pleased with some things, but disappointed in the end because you want to get a result. The team effort was there and the mentality, you could see the players were fighting for each other."

Benitez now has two weeks to regroup with his squad before his side welcome Arsenal to St James' Park in yet another tough fixture.