That's more like it - Newcastle United stroll to victory in Champions League over PSV
Considering Eddie Howe made just one change to the Newcastle United lineup tonight after Sunday's draw with Wolves, it was like watching an entirely different team.
Under the lights at St James' Park, Newcastle United put on a show that reminds us all of what this team is capable of.
You could be cynical (like the TNT Sports commentary team were) and focus on the fact that PSV had some key players missing, but you can only beat what's in front of you, and Newcastle did that and it it convincingly.
This was exactly what we needed ahead of a nightmare run of games away from home. A clean sheet, three goals, one of which was from Anthony Gordon in open play.
Newcastle were gifted two first-half goals by a shaky PSV defence
PSV gifted two first-half goals to Newcastle. Firstly, a wayward pass from the goalkeeper was intercepted by Bruno Guimaraes, who played a lovely ball through to Joelinton. Joey ran into the area and waited for Yoane Wissa to get into position before squaring the ball for our Number 9 to lift the ball over the keeper. A pointless VAR check preceded the restart to check that Wissa, who was offside in the first phase of play, didn't impede anyone, but after an on-field review, the referee stuck with his original decision and the goal stood. Newcastle were in the driving seat with just eight minutes on the clock.
On the half-hour mark, more kamikaze defending by PSV allowed Yoane Wissa to pounce on a dawdling defender and square a ball to Anthony Gordon, who will never score an easier goal in his life. He is loving the Champions League this season, and we can only hope that this goal will give him the confidence to play this well in domestic competitions.
Newcastle went in at the break with a comfortable lead, but they never looked like they were done and they eventually got their reward on 65 minutes as Harvey Barnes scored the pick of the goals, picking up the ball on the edge of the box and turning his man, running into the area and stroking a left-footed finish into the far corner of the net.
Oh, captain, my captain!
Newcastle scored three goals, and they obviously got the St James' Park volume levels sky high, but there was one big cheer left to come. As Kieran Trippier was taken off the field to be replaced by Joe Willock, the ex-England full-back had to pass on the captain's armband once more following Bruno Guimaraes' first-half withdrawal through injury. The vice captain passed the armband to Lewis Miley as he left the field of play, allowing the 19-year-old academy graduate a nine-minute stint as the captain of his boyhood club on a Champions League night.
A roar went up throughout the ground when that gesture was made, followed by chants of "He's one of our own". What a night.
We got the improvement from Gordon and Sandro Tonali that we wanted. Even Anthony Elanga looked up for it tonight in his 20-minute outing. The only real black mark on the night was losing Bruno Guimaraes, but fingers crossed that wasn't as bad as it looked.
Everything is poised nicely for a showdown in Paris next week, where Newcastle meet PSG with a realistic possibility of progressing to the knockout stage of the competition as a top-eight side, thus bypassing the two-legged playoff. All teams play at the same time, and the league is so tightly packed that anything can happen. Newcastle have a score to settle at the Parc des Princes after their last Champions League game there. The excitement is building already.
BRING ON PARIS!!!
