Newcastle United have moved up to seventh in the table following an impressive 4-1 win against 10-man Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The Magpies took full advantage after Nathaniel Chalobah was sent off for a poor challenge on Sean Longstaff in the eighth minute and Callum Wilson put his side in front just a few minutes later. Miguel Almiron doubled Newcastle's advantage with a sensational volley in the 33rd minute and Sean Longstaff made it 3-0 just before half-time. Almiron then added a fourth in the 57th minute after getting on the end of Joe Willock's cutback before Bobby Decordova-Reid pulled one back for Fulham at the death.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
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Newcastle run riot as visitors put Fulham to sword
As encouraging as Newcastle's performances have largely been, even at this stage of the season, this felt like a crucial game. Newcastle may have only lost one match all season, but the Magpies had not won a Premier League fixture since the opening day before this trip to the capital. Remarkably, given everything that happened last season, this had been Newcastle's longest winless run under Eddie Howe.
The visitors were also facing a Fulham outfit who were flying high in the table. Not only were Fulham unbeaten at Craven Cottage this season; Marco Silva's side had taken points off Liverpool, Wolves, Brighton, Brentford and Nottingham Forest. Was it any wonder pundit Jamie Carragher referred to Fulham as the 'biggest surprise' this season?
However, Newcastle were not filled with fear. As Callum Wilson put it before the game: "So what if they're playing well? We will still smash them."
The visitors made a bright start and Nathaniel Chalobah's red card in the 11th minute gave the visitors all the encouragement they needed following the midfielder's reckless challenge on Sean Longstaff. Darren England had originally shown Chalobah a yellow card but, after consulting his pitchside monitor, the referee sent him off.
All of a sudden, Fulham players' shoulders slumped and Newcastle smelled blood. Newcastle had previously been frustrated by Bournemouth and Crystal Palace when the onus was on the Magpies to break down the opposition, but the visitors quickly made the most of the man advantage and put Fulham to the sword.
Goals from Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Sean Longstaff put Newcastle 3-0 up before half-time during an utterly dominant display as the away end repeatedly chanted: 'Geordie boys - take the p---!' Newcastle were not satisfied with that, though, and went in search of more goals after the break and Almiron added another before the hour mark.
It was the first time Newcastle had scored four goals in a single Premier League game since May, 2021. As part-owners Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghodoussi and Jamie Reuben watched on from the directors' box, this felt like a glimpse of the future. Newcastle not only played with freedom and on the front foot, but they put away an in-form newly-promoted outfit with ease.
Newcastle have a proper number nine
This was just Newcastle's second game in nearly four weeks and it felt like a lifetime since the 1-1 draw against another newly-promoted outfit, Bournemouth, last time out. However, the lack of games at club level did not necessarily help Newcastle when it came to the club's growing injury list: record signing Alexander Isak picked up a muscle injury on international duty with Sweden; Joelinton, wearing a brace, could only make the bench against Fulham because of a knee issue; and Allan Saint-Maximin was not risked at Craven Cottage despite being 'very close'.
However, influential midfielder Bruno Guimaraes was fit to start after shaking off a thigh issue and the break allowed Callum Wilson to get some much-needed training time as the number nine made his first start since August after recovering from a hamstring injury. Ahead of this game, Wilson admitted he was 'buzzing to be back' and it quickly showed.
Wilson may have fluffed an early chance, after his effort struck the outside of the post, but while some strikers' may have dwelled on that miss, the 30-year-old quickly made amends just a few minutes later with a typical poacher's finish. Wilson always lurks and is always alive to the possibility of the ball falling to him inside the box and that was just what happened in the 11th minute after Joe Willock headed the ball across the goal and the number nine knocked it into the net. It was Wilson's fourth goal in four Premier League games against Fulham and that crucial early opener gave Newcastle lift-off.
It has been said so many times now but keeping Wilson fit will go a long way to deciding just where Newcastle end up this season. The £20m man is simply a game changer at this level.
Miguel Almiron produces a moment of magic
Jack Grealish may have mocked Man City team-mate Riyad Mahrez for 'playing like Almiron' just a few months ago, but the Paraguay international offered a timely reminder of his quality on Saturday with a goal of the season contender - let alone a goal of the month contender. It did not look like the chance was necessarily on when Bruno Guimaraes' first-time ball over the top dropped over Almiron's shoulder in the 33rd minute, but the forward lashed the ball into the net on the volley with a stunning finish with his left boot from a tight angle. Was it any wonder Eddie Howe quickly darted over to the monitor in the dugout to watch it back?
Almiron followed that up with a second in the 57th minute. Although Newcastle's need for further attacking reinforcements in 2023 still stands, Almiron, who's often frustrated with his end product, has already scored three times as many goals as he managed in the whole of last season and three times as many as Grealish has managed for City so far in the current campaign.
Newcastle fans rewarded after nightmare trip
There were no trains running from Newcastle to London on Saturday because of a strike, but that did not stop 2,300 Geordies packing out yet another away end at Craven Cottage - even during a cost of living crisis. Was it any wonder Howe admitted 'we're always amazed by the numbers we take?' Newcastle supporters were quickly rewarded for their 600-mile trip on a sunny afternoon in the capital and you could tell they enjoyed it as they repeatedly chanted: 'Don't take me home. Please don't take me home. I just don't want to go to work' and serenaded former heroes such as Sir Bobby Robson, Andy Cole, Shola Ameobi, Peter Lovenkrands, Jonas Gutierrez and Fabirico Coloccini.
Aleksandar Mitrovic frustrated
So much has changed since even the last time Newcastle faced Fulham, in 2020, that none of Aleksandar Mitrovic's former Magpies team-mates were in the starting line-up on Saturday. In truth, Mitrovic is a very different player to the one Karl Darlow, Jamaal Lascelles, Matt Ritchie et al shared a dressing room with a few years ago.
There were never any doubts about Mitrovic at Championship level or even international level, but the striker is a calmer, more complete striker these days who is at the very peak of his powers. Mitrovic previously scored some goals in the Premier League, but the 28-year-old now looks every inch a top-flight goalscorer, having already found the back of the net on seven occasions this season.
Fresh from scoring his 50th goal for Serbia midweek, there was no chance of Mitrovic passing up the chance to play against his former club - even if his right foot was bandaged up after a nasty knock against Norway. This was a huge test, then, of summer signing Sven Botman, who partnered Fabian Schar in the heart of the defence, as Dan Burn moved over to left-back.
Although Chalobah's early red card changed the game, Mitrovic was still well-marshalled by both Botman and Schar and the number nine ultimately hobbled off in the 37th minute after having just seven touches.
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