As Newcastle’s players and staff stood in a line applauding the supporters serenading them in the lower bank of the Bramall Lane Stand after a record-breaking away win, the clock on the scoreboard looking back at them was still ticking away. It was a good job then that, by that point, Sheffield United’s players had long since traipsed down the tunnel, such was Newcastle’s overwhelming appetite to put on a show, persistently pushing to cut a little bit deeper.
It was in effect game over inside 35 minutes, by which point Eddie Howe’s side were three goals to the good, but Newcastle were relentless, bloodthirsty and ended up bludgeoning the hosts to the tune of eight goals to nil, for their biggest away league win. Stuart McCall, the Sheffield United assistant manager, could not bear to look as Alexander Isak got in on the act, covering his face as the substitute wheeled away in celebration after adding a history-making eighth, the first time there have been eight different scorers in a Premier League match.
