Newcastle United's possession stats peaked at an incredible 72% for a while in the first half against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday as Eddie Howe's Magpies well and truly took the game to their hosts.
In less than 12 months, Howe has finally got Newcastle to snap out of the defensive mentality that saw them through the early years back in the top-flight after promotion in 2017. Much is made about Rafa Benitez statement about the "short blanket" with Howe asked about it only on Friday at his press conference.
Benitez described his task at Newcastle as trying to stay warm with a short blanket and said: "If you cover your head, you have your feet cold, but if you cover your feet, you have your head cold." In fairness to Benitez towards the end of the 2018/19 - with safety secured for a second season running - he was starting to build a more attacking team having signed Miguel Almiron from Atlanta.
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Steve Bruce spoke about playing "on the front-foot" as boss when taking over in summer 2019, but then felt that the team could not switch from their defensive mentality so easily - culminating in a 5-0 loss at Leicester City. For two years, he tried to make the team work with a back five for the most part.
Howe has stuck with a 4-3-3 formation this season for all of his matches and it has been pretty much up to the opposition to deal with their tactics compared to Newcastle parking the bus and trying to eke out points here and there. It's an old cliché but it feels like attack is the best form of defence.
But Howe's team can defend well and have conceded the fewest goals in the league so far. They went to Spurs on the back of glowing tributes to their defensive rearguard.
Spurs did have four or five good chances early on but they were mainly on the counter attack. By the end, Harry Kane and co were left frustrated - despite the England man grabbing a consolation.
And as Sven Botman stated in the plus interview area at Spurs, most of the home side's chances were from long distance as Newcastle defended well while also playing attacking stuff. Perhaps the most telling stat of the season for Howe is that none of their goals have came as a result of a Toon counter attack.
Indeed, according to Whoscored.com, 70% have been from open play, 20% from set-plays and 10% from either a penalty or an own goal. Yet that doesn't mean Newcastle don't defend well when they need to, like they did in the second half at Spurs.
The game ended with Newcastle having 48% possession as Spurs - as you'd expect - went for the jugular after getting back into the contest at 2-1. It sets up an intriguing game against Aston Villa this weekend.
Villa pasted Brentford 4-0 at the weekend under caretaker boss Aaron Danks as they set up with a 4-2-3-1 formation. As Villa wait for Unai Emery's work permit to get processed, Danks will be in charge again this weekend.
It's difficult to know if Danks is brave enough to go on the front-foot at St James' Park but knowing this will be his last game before Emery comes in, he doesn't have too much to lose.
Yet Newcastle and - especially Miguel Almiron - go into the game on a high. The 4-3-3 attacking verve of Newcastle has brought out the best in Almiron.
With six goals to his name so far he is producing his best stuff as a Newcastle player under Howe. It's not like Almiron has is devoid of the defensive shackles, he still made two tackles and one interception as well as tracking back, it just feels like he is flourishing in a team that wants to attack.
Almiron, Botman and Fabian Schar all had a similar message as they conducted their interviews after the game on Sunday. They all referenced the "team effort".
Howe has the team happy and is getting more from his players than others managed in the past at the moment. The money argument is not completely balanced given Almiron, Joelinton, Schar, Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson were already here when he arrived.
It's just work on the training ground is paying off combined with some shrewd work in the transfer market. Villa will have to deal with all of that at the weekend and must get their tactics right, you just wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of a Newcastle team in full flow right now.
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