Yasir Al-Rumayyan will have been looking forward to seeing some of Newcastle United's mid-season signings play in the flesh for the first time against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. However, it was a one-time record buy from a different era who offered a timely reminder to the Magpies' non-executive chairman that he could still have a part to play in the club's future during the 1-0 win.
It was Miguel Almiron, of course, who stepped up with the only goal of the game after finishing expertly into the top corner after the half-hour mark. It was Almiron's first Newcastle goal since February, 2021 and you could tell it meant a lot to the Paraguay international as he whipped off his shirt and jumped into the crowd to celebrate with supporters at St James' Park.
Almiron has had to be patient to get a run in the side under Eddie Howe, but the 28-year-old has been playing with newfound belief ever since he came on for the injured Ryan Fraser against Wolves earlier this month. Perhaps, most strikingly, Almiron has fire in his belly again and the forward even squared up to Wilfried Zaha a matter of seconds before his well-taken strike.
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Was it any wonder that Almiron was given a standing ovation when he was later taken off? This was another priceless win - Newcastle's sixth in a row at home - as Eddie Howe's side moved level on points with 10th-placed Brighton. Newcastle have now hit the 40 points mark with five games to spare and only Liverpool have picked up more points in 2022.
That felt an unimaginable prospect when Al-Rumayyan last jetted in for a game at St James' back in January when Newcastle were knocked out of the FA Cup by League One outfit Cambridge United. Newcastle's standing in the Premier League table was not much better at the time, either, and Howe's side were second from bottom with just 11 points to their name.
Al-Rumayyan visited a shell-shocked dressing room after that humiliating cup exit, where he reiterated his support, and the Saudi Arabian returned on Wednesday night to share a much happier moment with players and staff without feeling the need to give a grand speech. In a way, that showed how far Newcastle had come. Instead, Al-Rumayyan, Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghodoussi, Jamie Reuben and associates, including Majed Al Sorour, the chief executive of the Saudi Golf Federation, joined players and staff for a team photograph after the game before they embarked on their own kickabout out on the turf.
You suspect the ground staff will be glad of some time before Newcastle's next home game but the way the Magpies are grinding out results, even Liverpool won't necessarily relish coming to St James' next week. Dan Burn even went as far as to liken Wednesday's atmosphere to the Champions League nights he witnessed as a season ticket holder in the East Stand when he was a kid.
Perhaps it is easy to see why Jurgen Klopp wanted this game put back so his side could have more time to prepare following the Reds' Champions League semi-final first-leg tie against Villarreal. Newcastle may be as good as safe - even if Howe won't admit it until it's mathematically the case - but there will be no let up until the season is finished on May 22. In fact, the players were in for a training session on the morning of the Palace game as Howe and his staff used every hour available to them.
There have been occasions in the past where Newcastle's form has tailed off in the final games of the campaign, but Howe will be desperate for his side to finish as high as possible in the table. There were only three points separating Newcastle and ninth-placed Leicester, after all, before this game and if that was not already enough of an incentive to beat Palace, some of these players are also running out of games to prove they can play a part in this new era.
This match, therefore, was another test of where Newcastle are in this moment in time as Howe's side faced yet another side pushing for the top 10 after defeating both Leicester City and Wolves earlier this month. Palace may have been hurting after a FA Cup semi-final defeat against Chelsea at the weekend, but the Eagles had only lost two of their previous nine games in all competitions. Vieira's side had even taken points off Man City and Arsenal during that run.
However, these Palace players have never experienced St James' Park when it is quite like this. In the words of Newcastle's stand-in skipper Jonjo Shelvey, who listens to 'Local Hero' on the drive up to the stadium, 'words can't explain it when the fans are firing'. They were certainly in the mood once more on Wednesday night as Wor Flags unveiled a stunning tribute to Allan Saint-Maximin in the Gallowgate End before a ball was even kicked.
The electric atmosphere under the lights will have taken Vieira back to his playing days at Arsenal and coming up against Sir Bobby Robson's high-flying Magpies. It was rather fitting, then, that Vieira was in the opposition dugout as Howe looked to become the first Newcastle manager since Sir Bobby, in 2004, to win six Premier League games in a row at St James'
"To do that would be an incredible thing for us and to do anything relating to the name Sir Bobby Robson and to try and achieve one of his milestones would be brilliant for us," he told reporters ahead of the game.
"Playing at home is such a unique thing here. It's such a privilege to play in this stadium and the atmosphere that the supporters has created has been fantastic."
There was a quick turnaround between the games but, Howe, unsurprisingly, opted to name an unchanged side after Newcastle's 2-1 win against Leicester last time out. As heartened as Howe was by the intensity, resilience and desire his side played with against Foxes, the Newcastle boss wanted a 'little bit more control' and to see the black-and-whites 'express' themselves with the ball more.
Well, there were just seven minutes on the clock when a nice piece of inter-play between Bruno and Joelinton opened Palace up and the latter played Almiron in. However, the Paraguay international's effort from inside the area was blocked behind for a corner.
The crowd took encouragement from that passage of play, though, and, a few minutes later, Saint-Maximin drove at the heart of Palace's defence before getting a shot away, which Vicente Guaita saved. Saint-Maximin, feeding off that welcome from the Gallowgate before the game, looked in the mood to impress. In fact, an elaborate set of stepovers in front of the East Stand generated one of the loudest roars of the first half.
Yet it was another forward, Almiron, who ended up pulling a rabbit out of the hat in the 32nd minute. Bruno Guimaraes played a stunning lofted ball over the top down the right for Almiron to run onto and the forward held off Tyrick Mitchell before finishing brilliantly into the top corner. Such was the quality of the finish, you would not have known it was Almiron's first goal in 39 games.
Newcastle deservedly went into half-time in front following one of the Magpies' best first-half displays on the ball for some time. At the heart of that improvement was Bruno and a frustrated Conor Gallagher resorted to hacking the midfielder down at one point just before the break.
Clearly, Newcastle were in control and Howe's side could have even doubled their advantage in the 48th minute, but Joelinton headed over after getting on the end of Matt Targett's free-kick. However, while Palace were not carrying much of a threat, in a game of few clear cut chances, the visitors were always going to be in this game as long as it stayed 1-0. Wilfried Zaha sent a timely warning midway through the second half when the Palace forward fired wide from close range after Odsonne Edouard rolled the ball into his team-mate's path.
While it was not necessarily nervy inside the stadium - Newcastle supporters urged their side on throughout - Howe recognised that fresh legs were needed and Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy were both introduced for the tired Almiron and Saint-Maximin in the 76th minute.
Whereas Newcastle may have once panicked, Howe's side ultimately managed to close the game out to claim another hard-fought victory. It was rather fitting that Primal Scream hit 'Movin' on Up' played over the public address system at full-time once more.
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