Newcastle United have moved 10 points clear of the relegation zone following a spirited 2-1 win against Southampton at St Mary's on Thursday night.
Stuart Armstrong nodded the hosts in front in the 25th minute after Kyle Walker-Peters' cross was flicked across goal by Mohamed Elyounoussi. However, Newcastle responded just seven minutes later when Chris Wood scored his first goal for the club after getting his head on the end of Jonjo Shelvey's cross.
Bruno Guimaraes then put Newcastle in front with a spectacular back-heeled volley in the 52nd minute as the Brazil international announced himself in style on his full debut. Newcastle survived a late Southampton onslaught to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League to nine games.
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Bruno Guimaraes announces himself in style
Newcastle supporters have been singing about Bruno Guimaraes and his 'magic hat' for some time now and the Brazilian certainly pulled out a rabbit on his full debut. Matt Targett's corner was headed across goal by Dan Burn and there was Bruno to put Newcastle in front with an outrageous back heel on the volley. To be honest, that description does not even do the goal justice. It was a ridiculous finish.
Bruno has had to be patient for his chance after being restricted to cameos from the bench as Eddie Howe eased him into life in the Premier League at a time when Joelinton, Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Willock have all impressed as a unit. However, although Bruno is not renowned for his goalscoring, it was hard to imagine another Newcastle player scoring a goal like that - such was the technique involved.
Newcastle did miss Joelinton's bite and physicality in the middle of the park after the club's record signing suffered a recurrence of the groin issue that forced him off against Leeds way back in January, but Bruno constantly demanded the ball. Most encouragingly, on the rare occasions Bruno lost possession, the former Lyon man worked tirelessly to win it back. That bodes well for the future.
A wincing Bruno did have to hobble off a short time after scoring with what looked like cramp, but the midfielder made a real impression on his first start. Howe challenged Bruno to 'play so well that I don't want to take him out' and the 24-year-old did just that.
Ralph Hasenhuttl's nightmare comes true
Much time has passed since January's original fixture was postponed but, on the eve of this game, Ralph Hasenhuttl admitted it was 'strange now to concentrate on a game you should have played two months ago against a completely different team'. Clearly, the Southampton boss still felt aggrieved after previously claiming that it would 'not really be fair' for Newcastle's new signings to be eligible to play in the rearranged clash.
Although Eddie Howe did not necessarily get drawn into it, vowing Hasenhuttl's comments would not influence his team talk, the Austrian's words added a bit of an edge to the game before a ball was even kicked. Indeed, it did not feel like your typical clash between a side in ninth and a team in 14th as 'Dirty Cash', 'Can't Buy Me Love' and 'Money, Money, Money' were all played at half-time over the public address system by the stadium announcer.
In any case, Howe was 'delighted to play our new players' and all of Newcastle's available mid-season signings started: Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Bruno and Chris Wood. You can imagine Hasenhuttl's face then when Wood popped up with the equaliser in the 33rd minute after getting his head on the end of Jonjo Shelvey's teasing ball.
It was Wood's first goal for the club following his £25m move from Burnley in January and, as obvious as it sounds, the goal showed the value of providing the New Zealand international with proper service as he rose above Mohammed Salisu and powered a header past Fraser Forster. Wood has made a difference with his tireless work off the ball and aerial presence in recent weeks, but this goal was a timely reminder of what he can do with crosses.
If that goal was not bad enough for Hasenhuttl, another mid-season signing, Bruno, then put Newcastle in front in the 55th minute and fellow January arrivals Matt Targett and Dan Burn both played their part in the build-up. A penny for the Southampton boss' thoughts.
Resilient Newcastle have come a long way
It was in the corresponding fixture last season where an honest Fabian Schar admitted 'everyone had a s--- game'. Perhaps, most damningly, the Switzerland international said that it was 'better' that the fans were not physically in the stadium to see it after Newcastle failed to get to grips with Hasenhuttl's Duracell Bunnies as they pressed and harried.
There were just two survivors from that side in the starting line-up on Thursday night, in Schar and Jacob Murphy, and it goes without saying that a lot has changed since that 2-0 defeat at St Mary's. Whereas Steve Bruce's decision to stick with an unchanged, winning team for that game backfired, following a victory against Everton a few days previously, Eddie Howe's loyalty to his victorious players was rewarded after they again adapted to another opponent following the win against Brighton last Saturday.
Newcastle have become a more consistent and more streetwise outfit - no longer flaky on the road - and, going into this game, the Magpies had claimed seven points in their last three games away from home compared to three from their previous 27. So when Stuart Armstrong headed Southampton in front, Newcastle stayed calm.
Just as Newcastle quickly came from behind at West Ham last month, the Magpies soon responded against Southampton as Wood headed Howe's side level just seven minutes later. Newcastle may have crumbled previously, but this side have become more resilient of late and not only equalised but took the lead, too.
When it comes to closing out games, too, Newcastle are no longer the nervy side who failed to beat Southampton in the reverse fixture earlier this season despite taking the lead in the 91st minute. In saying that, though, Howe's side had Martin Dubravka to thank for making a stunning late save to deny Mohammed Salisu.
Owners see Matt Targett impress once again
Just as Dan Burn received a warm reception from both Newcastle and Brighton fans last time out, the same happened to Matt Targett at St Mary's as his current and former clubs went head to head. The Eastleigh native's family will have no doubt been watching on as Targett returned to the club where he spent 16 years of his life.
Such was Targett's connection to the club, and the area itself, the left-back did not feel ready to join Newcastle when the Magpies first came calling in 2017. Talks were so advanced that Targett was about to get on a plane to Tyneside, but the defender felt it was too big a move for him at the time.
Targett has developed into a proven Premier League player since then and has seamlessly slotted into life at Newcastle. Former Southampton boss Claude Puel previously told ChronicleLive that Targett was a 'very interesting player' for Newcastle if the Magpies 'play football and he has the ability with his other team-mates to build the play' rather than simply defending 'without giving a good collective, a good ability to play together'. There is no doubt that Targett has been used correctly in that respect and, as solid a defender as he is, the left-back has provided a real outlet in attack, too, as he showed in the build-up to Wood's equaliser and, indeed, with his delivery for Bruno's second.
It seems hard to imagine Newcastle not taking up the option to sign the left-back on a permanent deal in the summer. Part-owners Mehrdad Ghodoussi, Amanda Staveley and Jamie Reuben, who were all watching on from the directors' box, will already know that.
Newcastle take another huge step towards safety
Remarkably, it has been less than two months since Newcastle were held to a 1-1 draw against Watford at St James' Park, a result which left the Magpies in 19th place and with just one victory all season. There is work to do yet, of course, but Newcastle's turnaround since then has been remarkable and Howe's side are now 10 points clear of the relegation zone following their best unbeaten run since the black-and-whites qualified for Europe in 2012.
Howe and his players have been keen to focus on their own results, but the fact that Leeds, Watford and Norwich all lost on Thursday night was a real bonus - and made this win all the more crucial.
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