Our reporter Ewan Wishart will be uniting Tyne Valley Toon supporters for the 25/26 season with his column, The Toon Crier.
NEWCASTLE shatter their Premier League away curse in style, cruising to a relaxed 4-1 win over a discombobulated Everton side.
However, they couldn’t make it three wins in a row in the league, faltering at home to Spurs today (December 2) and are now number one for losing points from winning positions - eleven - in the Premier League.
After not winning an away game in the league since the 3-0 drubbing of relegated Leicester City on April 7, Newcastle came out firing on Saturday (November 29) - giving Eddie Howe a birthday present he's waited nearly eight months for.
In a game which saw Howe make six alterations from the midweek 2-1 away loss to Marseille, there were excellent performances all over the pitch.
Whilst the stellar showings of Newcastle's new German heroes and the inclusion of Aaron Ramsdale in the starting 11 have rightfully grabbed headlines, this week, after his coming-of-age display, it's time to spotlight teenage prodigy Lewis Miley.
Wholesale changes spark wholesale outcome
From the side that lost in the South of France last Tuesday (November 25), out came Fabian Schar, Sandro Tonali, Jacob Murphy, Joe Willock, Anthony Gordon and number one, Nick Pope - who was said to miss out with a groin injury.
Their replacements, Ramsdale, Miley, Joelinton, Lewis Hall, Nick Woltemade, and Anthony Elanga, all played starring roles in the rout at Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Going into the game, after drawing three and losing three of their first six Premier League away games, Newcastle sat 20th in the table in terms of points gained on the road.
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Looking powerful, well-rested and more like the side we have all come to know under Howe, the Magpies came out firing from the block.
Inside just 20 seconds, Woltemade and Elanga linked up, with the pacey Swede's effort earning a corner, which resulted in Miley whipping a superb ball in, which was met by the towering Thiaw to put Newcastle 1-0 up after 55 seconds - the quickest Premier League goal of the season to date.
Everton's best spell of the game came in the 20 minutes after the first goal. For all their possession, they couldn't capitalise. In the 25th minute, a tame Miley volley found its way through the distraught Jordon Pickford to put Newcastle two up.
On the stroke of half-time, it was three. Elanga worked the ball well down the right flank before hitting a sweeping pass to the feet of Woltemade, who coolly chipped the Everton keeper.
After scoring his first Newcastle goal in the first half, Thiaw was clearly still hungry for more. His head met an excellent Hall cross to make it four within the hour mark.
In the 69th minute, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall brought down a James Tarkowski ball perfectly and, with the contest already over, knocked in a consolation goal for Everton.
As well as breaking the away win marked the first time Newcastle have won two league games in a row this season
Miley mania
In just three starts and nine games in the Premier League, Lewis Miley has already registered two goals and an assist this season.
His performance against Everton earned Miley the WhoScored Man of the Match award and an 8.8/10 rating, the highest rating of any player in the league over the weekend.
For all of the anguish over the departures of young talents Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson, the reinvigoration of Miley has somewhat lessened the blow.
23-year-old Whitley Bay-born Anderson has gone from strength to strength since he departed from Newcastle. The tricky number eight has not only worked his way into the England squad but also a potential starting berth at the 2026 World Cup.
Out of the two local talents, although Miley was always seen as the bigger prospect, his development was marred by injury last season, with the 19-year-old only making 14 appearances in the league and a total of 304 minutes.
With 365 minutes of Premier League football already under his belt by December, the Englishman looks set for a big season.
Sharing a profile and qualities of Sergio Busquets, Miley, perhaps a more progressive version, routinely records top pass completion and ball recovery percentages - showing maturity beyond his years.
With Newcastle's bulging fixture list, Miley will undoubtedly be afforded lots of chances and game time. If he can stay fit, don't be surprised if he has dislodged one of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes or Joelinton for a starting 11 spot by the end of the season.
Newcastle United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Newcastle couldn’t make it three league wins in a row and now sit top of the Premier League table for points dropped from winning positions
Although Newcastle started the game brightly, dominating play for the first 15 minutes, they couldn’t capitalise on their superiority, with the score line still 0-0 going into half time.
After a steady yet lacklustre first half, Newcastle were crying out for some added creativity going into the second. This was recognised by Eddie Howe, who brought on Guimaraes at the break.
With the second half starting slowly, it was going to take something special to break the deadlock. Cue Guimaraes, whose sweet 71st-minute strike curled into the right-hand corner of the Spurs net.
Tottenham, who didn’t create many chances in the game, scored a goal out of nothing in the 78th minute, a Christian Romero header.
Anthony Gordon 86th minute penalty looked to see Newcastle on their way to their third Premier League win in a row for the first time since April.
However, it was de ja vu for the Magpies, who threw it away in extra time for the third home game this season against a big six side - conceding in the 95th minute to an audacious Romero bicycle kick.
It’s one point on the board, but two more dropped for Newcastle, who are making a habit of not being able to see out wins.
With less than two weeks until the Tyne-Wear derby, it’s imperative that Howe’s side build some confidence and win at least one of their next two games.
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