Newcastle United's win over Fulham allowed Eddie Howe and his side to breathe a welcome sigh of relief. The Magpies finally picked up their second win of the Premier League campaign after a bright start.
The Toon's 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest was the perfect remedy following last year's woeful start to the season. But, despite the impressive performances, the second win of the season would remain elusive until October 1.
There can be no denying that the Magpies are in a much better place under the guidance of Eddie Howe, currently sat in the European places at the time of writing - although other teams do have games in hand. The win over Fulham means the black and white faithful have seen their side lose just once since the beginning of the season.
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The emphatic display at Craven Cottage was the first time Newcastle have led by three goals at half-time since March 2012. It's taken the club over a decade to repeat that feat against West Bromwich Albion, where a brace from Papiss Cisse sandwiched either side of a Hatem Ben Arfa strike, had the Magpies three goals to the good at the Hawthorns.
Alan Pardew's side would run out 3-1 winners on the road with Shane Long grabbing a second-half consolation. Newcastle United supporters have had quite the wait to see a repeat of such an impressive first-half display but the performance at Craven Cottage was a positive and hopeful sign of things to come.
It's also the earliest Newcastle have picked up 11 points in their past five seasons, with last year's date of December 27 a stark sign of improvement.
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