Newcastle United fans were in disbelief.
“How bad must you be?” they chanted at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. “We’re winning away!”
The 4-1 victory over Everton had been a long-awaited result for the traveling supporters.
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In the past seven months, Geordies had made trips to Aston Villa (twice), Brighton (twice), Arsenal, Leeds, Bournemouth, West Ham, and Brentford without witnessing a single win.
After frustrating defeats at the Gtech Community Stadium and the London Stadium earlier this month, there were moments when Howe and his squad hesitated to acknowledge the away fans after the final whistle. But this time, they were met with a thunderous cheer, celebrating a significant win on Howe’s 48th birthday.
At last, the team had overcome their struggles in away matches in the Premier League.
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“I was tired of it,” Howe told Match of the Day. “That’s why I’m so excited that the players gave me the chance to come here and not dwell on it as much.”
A shift in attitude and lineup
Howe’s bold decisions paid off following the midweek loss in Marseille.
Aaron Ramsdale, Lewis Miley, and Anthony Elanga received rare starts, while regulars like Lewis Hall, Joelinton, and Nick Woltemade were brought back into the fold.
Key players such as Fabian Schar, Sandro Tonali, Jacob Murphy, and Anthony Gordon were kept on the bench, just a day after the Newcastle head coach claimed he had “no favorites.”
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Unlike the previous changes that disrupted the team’s rhythm, as occurred at West Ham earlier this month, the visitors benefited from the rotation.
The recent returns of Hall and fellow full-back Tino Livramento from injury have added a new dimension to Newcastle’s play, enhancing their energy and creativity on the flanks.
Miley made a significant impact with a goal and an assist against Everton, while Elanga showcased his best performance since his £55m transfer from Nottingham Forest last summer.
Joelinton fought hard in midfield on a night when Everton struggled against Newcastle’s physical presence, and Woltemade scored a brilliant lob to make it 3-0.
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Though Ramsdale was largely untroubled on his first league start due to Nick Pope missing out with a groin injury, he brought a sense of calmness in possession, helping Newcastle complete 88% of their passes.
Moreover, there was a notable change in both mentality and personnel.
Newcastle made a strong start, with Elanga winning an early corner that led to Malick Thiaw scoring from Miley’s delivery.
This marked the fastest Premier League goal of the season, netted just 55 seconds in, but Newcastle was no stranger to such a scenario.
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In their last three away games across all competitions, they had taken the lead only to lose afterward. However, this time, they held firm despite Everton’s attempts to level the score.
Dan Burn, back in his preferred position at left-sided center-back, made crucial blocks, as did Hall. Woltemade even tracked back to intercept a cross from Jack Grealish.
This resilience did not escape Thiaw’s notice.
“We have scored early in other away games and gone 1-0 up,” he told Match of the Day. “But this time, even when we lost momentum, we stayed united, defended exceptionally well, and it paid off.”
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This season, Newcastle has conceded just four goals in the first half of league matches, offering Howe’s team a solid base to build upon.
It certainly was the case on Saturday.
‘A significant step forward’
This felt like a return to the fundamentals of Newcastle’s play.
Even Everton manager David Moyes described Newcastle as “the most physical team in the Premier League” after the match.
Newcastle dominated in tackles (winning all 15), covered nearly 5km more than Everton, won more aerial duels (19), and made 13 additional clearances compared to the hosts.
Moreover, Newcastle exhibited a sharpness in attack that had been missing in recent matches, where they failed to capitalize on early leads against Marseille, Brentford, and West Ham.
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While Jordan Pickford made an error on Miley’s opener, Newcastle efficiently extended their lead at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
It felt daunting for Everton by that point as Newcastle, in Howe’s own words, put their “foot to the floor.” Woltemade added a third before Thiaw netted a fourth with a header worthy of admiration.
“Unreal player,” Woltemade remarked to Sky Sports. “We often tease him about his heading, but today he scored two headers. He wanted to practice headers yesterday, but the rain was too heavy, so we couldn’t do it. Looks like he didn’t need it after all.”
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As the final whistle blew, Howe shared a lighthearted moment with Thiaw, playfully rubbing his eyes in disbelief that the man of the match had scored two headers.
In just one game, Thiaw matched his personal best for goals in a single season, showcasing that contributions are finally being distributed throughout the squad.
However, this needs to mark the beginning of a more consistent journey.
“We still have work to do on our away form,” Howe said. “We are a long way from where we need to be. It hasn’t been good enough, but today was a significant step forward.”