It is already set to be a memorable Christmas for Newcastle United supporters. Not only will Newcastle be flying in third place in the Premier League on December 25 - the Magpies will also still be in the Carabao Cup.
Yes, Eddie Howe's side booked their place in the quarter-finals of the cup following a 1-0 win against Bournemouth at St James' Park on Tuesday night. It was not pretty - this last 16 tie was never going to be a classic as these two teams contested their first competitive game since the World Cup break - but Newcastle got the job done without even being at their best.
Newcastle ultimately needed assistance from one of Howe's former players, Adam Smith, to break the deadlock after the Bournemouth skipper inadvertently headed the ball into his own net midway through the second half. That goal proved the difference on a night where Newcastle fans dared to dream again.
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'Tell me ma, me ma,' they sang. 'I won't be home for tea, we're going to Wembley!' It had been a long time since those words were belted out with such gusto in the Gallowgate End.
Newcastle still have a lot of work to do to reach February's final, of course, but Bournemouth boss Gary O'Neil was hardly going over the top when he referred to the Magpies as 'one of the best sides in the league' after the game. That O'Neil set up to frustrate Newcastle once more was, perhaps, the ultimate compliment.
That Newcastle managed to find a way to win felt like another small step forward as Howe's side reached the quarters for only the fourth time in the last 16 seasons. You can't help but feel the stars might just be aligning with Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea already being out, and Man City meeting Liverpool on Thursday night. So what would Howe's wish be in the last eight?
"We have a preference," he told reporters. "We would love to play here."
Is it any wonder? Even Man City would not exactly relish a one-off quarter-final tie at St James' if Pep Guardiola's side end up in the hat.
It is certainly hard to imagine many other teams in the country playing a last 16 tie in front of 51,579 supporters on a Tuesday night and that support is being repaid. Whereas Premier League safety was so often prioritised once upon a time, the fans now have a manager who is 'desperate' to end the club's 53-year trophy drought with the resources to do so; Matt Ritchie even revealed that Howe said he wanted to win a cup 'from day one'.
These were not just empty words - this policy has long changed - and the team sheet that dropped at 6.45pm felt like a statement of sorts before a ball had even been kicked. Remarkably, the club's World Cup contingent - Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes and Callum Wilson - all started as Howe named his strongest side against virus-hit Bournemouth.
In fact, the Newcastle boss made just one change from the XI that defeated Chelsea in the Magpies' previous competitive game last month. Even then, Wilson coming in for Chris Wood strengthened the team rather than weakening it.
Wilson was pressing high from the off as Newcastle fed off the energy of the crowd under the lights and the pattern of the game quickly resembled the corresponding fixture in the Premier League 94 days previously. Newcastle had 73% of possession at one stage, but Bournemouth were dogged and resilient and broke the game up.
Bournemouth's approach certainly did not surprise Newcastle - Kieran Trippier noted how the visitors 'went down five times' in the space of 20 minutes - and the Magpies were going to have to be patient. Indeed, even when the hosts had the ball in the back of the net, midway through the first half, Callum Wilson's goal was belatedly disallowed. Watching the replay of the incident, it was hard to fathom why it had been ruled out with a floored Joe Willock not interfering with play and onside himself.
However, rather than getting frustrated, Newcastle broke forward again and Wilson headed Trippier's cross over in the 28th minute before the striker then volleyed Fabian Schar's knockdown over the bar just a few minutes later. Newcastle were not quite at their sharpest in front of goal and never was that more apparent than just before half-time when Dan Burn's cross found Miguel Almiron at the back post, but the Paraguay international could not find the back of the net with his weaker right foot with the goal gaping.
It was a huge chance and, somehow, the game was scoreless at half-time. Although Bournemouth had offered little in the final third in the opening 45 minutes, the Cherries sent a reminder they were very much still in this tie after the break when Kieffer Moore headed wide from Adam Smith's cross.
Newcastle looked in need of an injection of magic and Allan Saint-Maximin was soon summoned. The Frenchman was sorely missed when these sides last met and he quickly made an impact after replacing Willock as he repeatedly ran at veteran Smith. That gave the crowd a lift and Newcastle were soon in front.
There were 67 minutes on the clock when Kieran Trippier played a one-two with Miguel Almiron down the right and the full-back's cross struck the head of Smith, who unintentionally found the back of the net. Newcastle finally had their opener and Bournemouth, as a result, had to be a little more ambitious.
The Cherries did come close to a late equaliser in the 89th minute when Nick Pope made a huge save at the death to deny Dominic Solanke before five minutes of stoppage time were added on. However, Newcastle held their nerve to book their place in the last eight.
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