Newcastle United are now nine games unbeaten in the Premier League and strengthening their grip on a Champions League place.
With just 14 matches played Howe was keeping his team's feet on the ground after the victory and insisted Newcastle can play much better than their 4-1 win on the South Coast. But the result leaves the Magpies on 27 points and in great shape heading towards the World Cup break with just one match to play before Qatar.
If context was needed though the fact that Newcastle - who have scraped to safety in pre-takeover years in the final weeks of the season - could now only need a mere three more wins to better the 35-point total that would have kept teams up last season!
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It took Newcastle until March 5, at home to Brighton & Home Albion, to get beyond the 27 point barrier. That was at the 26-game mark meaning it's progress indeed for Howe's team after just 14 matches!
The Leicester story enters the narrative as Newcastle season gets better
Newcastle have already been spoken about as "contenders" by Man City boss Pep Guardiola only last week. And now Leicester City's incredible season in 2015/16 has been thrown back into the equation after Howe was asked about title chances in his Press conference.
Sporting director Dan Ashworth was asked if Newcastle could join the big boys only last month. Back then Ashworth said: "It's difficult, but it is possible. We have no God-given right - within one or two transfer windows - to go: 'Bang, we should be competing with the top four'. But things do happen in football that are strange - look at Leicester."
Leicester were 5,000/1 to win the title at the start of the 2015/16 season and went on to win it in style. Nobody is getting carried away at United despite the great form.
But if you really want to know the title odds for Newcastle this season, Betfred are offering 66/1 and William Hill have shortened odds to 50/1! At the same 14-game stage Leicester were second with 29 points and joint top with Man City.
Newcastle are still a whopping seven points behind Arsenal and have played a game more. Perhaps it is just nice to mentioned in the same breath as that fantastic Foxes team.
Miguel Almiron on course for best ever Newcastle goal tally in a season
Almiron's first half strike took his tally for the season to eight with just 14 matches gone. His previous best had been seven in the 2019/20 season but some of those goals came in the FA Cup against Rochdale meaning he is well and truly at his best.
Signed by Rafa Benitez without finding his best form before briefly picking up under Steve Bruce for a while, it seems Howe - who waited for 14 months for his first Almiron goal, is finally finding what Newcastle paid £21million for in 2019.
Asked yet again about the secret to his form, Howe said: "Its always been more than the goals for Miggy. Even when he was not scoring he was still pivotal to the team, he brings energy and a relentless pursuit of pressing. It dovetails perfectly with our philosophy."
Jonjo Shelvey's contract joy
The midfielder made his 200th appearance at Southampton and triggered a one-year extension to his current deal. Shelvey will now see his deal up in summer 2024 taking him to 32.
He marked it with a substitute appearance and having a hand in the fourth goal as he took a quick free-kick to find Bruno Guimaraes who then curled home a 25-yard strike.
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