Newcastle United have taken another huge step to safety after the Magpies came from behind to beat Leicester City 2-1 following a dramatic late winner from Bruno Guimaraes.
Ademola Lookman put the visitors in front from a corner kick in the 19th minute, but Bruno equalised on the half-hour mark after hooking the ball past Kasper Schmeichel. The Brazil international then popped up with a diving header in the 95th minute to give Newcastle a precious win as Eddie Howe's side moved 12 points clear of the relegation zone.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
READ MORE: Newcastle vs Leicester City highlights
Bruno's mentality is rubbing off on others as late, late goal proves
It is not only Bruno's ability to keep the ball, win it back and find others; it is the mentality the winner brings to the side, too. In the words of Eddie Howe, the 'very friendly' Brazil international changes into 'someone that's desperate to win' when he plays.
That mentality is beginning to be shared by those around Bruno and never was that more apparent that in the closing stages of the game. There were just seconds left in added time when Matt Targett opted not to let the ball run out of play for a goal kick and instead shook off James Justin and launched the ball forward to substitute Joe Willock.
Rather than aiming for the corner to waste time, Willock galloped forward and managed to get a cross away and there was Bruno with a diving header to take the roof off St James'. The goal was all the more impressive when you consider that Bruno had received treatment for a back injury at half-time, but that's how desperate the midfielder was to stay on, get into the box and win the game for his side.
It was Newcastle's latest ever Premier League winning goal on record and the wild celebrations after the game will be remembered for a while yet.
Newcastle supporters have a new hero
Joe Willock may have been fit enough to return to the match day squad, after missing the Wolves game with a knee issue, but there was never any danger of Bruno Guimaraes dropping out on Sunday. Bruno, as a result, started back-to-back games at St James' Park for the first time since completing his big-money move from Lyon last January.
It is easy to see why. Miguel Almiron, for one, said earlier this week that the 'game becomes much easier' when such a 'top player' is playing alongside him and it was Bruno who stepped up when Newcastle needed him most after Ademola Lookman had put Leicester ahead. There were 30 minutes on the clock when Jonjo Shelvey's corner was flicked on by Dan Burn and Bruno managed to scramble the ball over the line after goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel spilled the Brazilian's initial hooked effort.
Jarred Gillett disallowed the goal for a foul at first but, after consulting the pitchside monitor, the referee reversed his decision to send St James' into raptures. It was Bruno's first goal at his new home and the 24-year-old certainly enjoyed it.
All four corners of the stadium were already singing his name as Bruno celebrated but the mid-season arrival whipped them up further as he raised his arms up and down in front of the Leazes End. Those scenes were even wilder after his winner.
Newcastle respond after collapse in reverse fixture
In some ways, this did not feel like the worse time to face Leicester City as Brendan Rodgers made a whopping eight changes to his side. Leicester only flew back from Eindhoven on Friday following a win against PSV in the Europa Conference League and the Foxes did did not have much time to prepare for the trip to Tyneside. That would have been a dangerous trap for Newcastle to fall into, however.
Similar commitments did not affect Leicester in the reverse fixture back in December when Brendan Rodgers' side hammered Newcastle 4-0 - just three days after playing Napoli in Italy. In fact, ahead of Sunday's game, Leicester had been unbeaten in each of the five matches they had played after European away days this season.
Therefore, this was going to be a real test of how far Newcastle have come against in-form Leicester as the Magpies looked to defeat a team currently in the top half of the table for just the second time this season. There were just six survivors from the reverse fixture at the King Power Stadium in the Newcastle starting line-up as Matt Targett, Dan Burn, Emil Krafth, Bruno Guimaraes and Chris Wood all came into the side.
The mauling at Spurs aside, Newcastle have become more resilient and harder to play against since that defeat at Leicester. Indeed, captain Jamaal Lascelles went as far as to say it 'feels like part of the past now'.
That was clear after Newcastle went behind in the 19th minute. Not so long ago, the Magpies may have folded and lost the game, as they did when they went behind at the King Power Stadium earlier this season, but Howe's side managed to navigate a testing period of the game before Bruno's equaliser and, indeed, before the Brazilian's late winner. This game was far from a classic - Newcastle have certainly played better - but this was a huge three points.
Newcastle's work on set-plays pays off even if Lookman goal hurt
Remarkably, following Bruno's first goal, nine of Newcastle's last 16 goals have come from set-plays, whether it is corners, direct free-kicks or someone stepping up from the spot. Even if you exclude penalties, Newcastle have scored a league-high 14 goals from set pieces this season.
Assistants Jason Tindall and Graeme Jones and first-team coach Stephen Purches have worked tirelessly on that often unfashionable aspect of the game since Howe was appointed last November. When Newcastle needed to get back into this game, as Leicester dominated, that work paid dividends. .Was it any wonder that Everton assistant Paul Clement referred to Newcastle as 'one of the best set-play teams in the country' earlier this week?
However, as much as Newcastle exploited Leicester's vulnerability from dead ball situations - no other side in the Premier League has conceded more goals (22) - the Magpies were undone by a slick routine, themselves for Leicester's opener. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's low corner was cleverly flicked on by Ayoze Perez at the near post into the path of the unmarked Ademola Lookman, who squeezed an effort past Martin Dubravka.
Given the high standards Howe and his staff set, expect the coaching team to watch that incident back and analyse what went wrong.
Owners' surprise pre-match visit as St James' becomes fortress
Around an hour before kick-off, Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghodoussi and Jamie Reuben popped down to the press room to meet reporters and greet the club's match day staff. This surprise visit would have been an unimaginable prospect even in the early days of the Ashley era as the owners made an effort to speak to everyone present and shake their hands, but this is a very different club now.
In fact, Wor Flags would not have been inside the stadium on Sunday if Mike Ashley was still the club's owner. The supporters' group again got the stadium rocking before a ball was even kicked. Not only was there a stunning tribute to David Kelly's famous winner against Portsmouth in the Gallowgate End, ahead of the 30th anniversary of that pivotal strike, but supporters in each stand had the chance to get involved once more as they picked up a pole to wave a flag nearest to them.
Newcastle were going to need that support against a side they had not beaten at home since 2014 and the Gallowgate End was still singing even after Ademola Lookman fired Leicester ahead.
Newcastle have now won their last five games at St James' and only lost once at home in the Premier League under Howe - and that was against champions Man City. Howe has picked up 69% of his points on Tyneside since taking charge last November and that home form has been crucial to the Magpies closing the gap to the top 10 to just three points.
Expect another special atmosphere under the lights on Wednesday night when Crystal Palace come to town in one of the final home games of the campaign.
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