Newcastle are back: Goals. Another win. And Jason Tindall winding people up

They have sprinted and stumbled, they have stepped forwards and slumped, they have faltered and fallen and it is only now, as 2024 comes to a close, that Newcastle United are finally on the march again. Winning again, s***housing again.

They have saved the best until the last, winning three in a row in the Premier League and four in a row in all competitions for the first time since the blissful autumn of 2023, when Paris Saint-Germain were bested at St James’ Park and the world felt riotous and full of possibility.

Back then, Newcastle shovelled eight goals past Sheffield United, beat Manchester City when that was still a novelty, and got the better of Burnley before the perennial champions of France came to Tyneside and tasted bitter humiliation. This time it has been Leicester City, Brentford in the Carabao Cup, Ipswich Town and now Aston Villa, either bad teams or good teams to play against in the here and now. This time, it is a different kind of riot.

When here and now means Tyneside, it brings an allergic reaction for Villa, which — remarkably, miraculously — endured for the entirety of the Mike Ashley era, when Newcastle were afflicted by their own allergy to competence. You have to retreat to Lee Bowyer, Kieron Dyer and Steven Taylor all being sent off in 2004 for Villa’s last victory here, a scenario echoed 20 years later at least in terms of the number of red cards.

First Jhon Duran introduced his studs to Fabian Schar’s back in the 32nd minute. Then, at half-time, Jason Tindall, Newcastle’s assistant head coach and irritant-in-chief, was also shown a red card, as was Victor Manas, Villa’s first-team analyst, after a fracas in the tunnel. It was indicative of the feisty mood. Squabbling coaches — Tindall had put his fingers to his lips to hush Unai Emery after Duran’s departure, earning invective in response — added to the sense of renaissance. Perhaps Newcastle really are back.

“No one wants to see that, it’s not at all how I want my players or staff to be, but sometimes you have to stand up to what you think is right and protect each other,” Howe, speaking after the game, said of the melee.

Predictably and provocatively, Tindall was front and centre of Newcastle’s post-match dressing room photograph, wearing a Wham! hoodie in honour of the bastardised version of “Last Christmas” which fans sing in his honour: “This year, to save me from tears, I’ll give it to Jason Tindall.”

In a very different way, Newcastle gave it all afternoon, running and challenging and protecting each other, treading a careful line and sometimes crossing it.

The stats from this run are compelling. Newcastle have won three Premier League matches in a row by three-plus goals for the first time, won 11 matches in all competitions and kept three consecutive clean sheets, stepping up and shoring up when it mattered. And it did matter, given that before Leicester it was two wins in 11 in the league and the foundations were trembling. After a miserable 4-2 defeat at Brentford on December 7, they were 12th in the table and groping for fluency.

This flurry of wins has been vital — for Newcastle, for Howe and his players, for supporters, for the club and for the whole notion of progress. They have a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal to look forward to, which keeps alive the prospect of tangible achievement, and they are now fifth. Europe was the target before a ball was kicked this season and it again looks feasible.

“We were becoming the nearly-men,” Anthony Gordon said post-match. “The Brentford game was a poor loss. We played really badly. From then, it was like: ‘Who are we going to be? Because we can keep missing out, but the table’s so tight that we can actually start taking advantage’. From there, we haven’t looked back. We realised that was a point where we needed to really kick on. We have done.”

“We’ll shoot for whatever we can shoot for,” Howe said.

GO DEEPER

Howe defends Tindall after half-time melee, red card

A tricky, testing, trial of a year has been more of a slow burn, but fast starts are once again part of their armoury, a signature characteristic of a squad, which when fit and firing, don’t simply play but swarm. They opened the scoring in the ninth minute against Brentford and the first minute at Ipswich, and it took 80 seconds for Gordon to curl the ball beyond Villa’s Emiliano Martinez, meaning December is ending in a happy blur. Boxing Day victories have been a rarity.

Momentum has not been an ally to Newcastle and confidence has suffered; the return of one has led to the other, reminding Newcastle of what a fine team they are and can be, even when games become problems to be solved. Duran did them a favour, robbing Villa of impetus when they were threatening to play themselves back into the match and from then on it became a matter of diligence and patience.

Schar and Duran had stretched for a loose ball and the Newcastle centre-half had slid in to win it, with Duran first catching him on the buttock and then in the small of the back. Deliberate or otherwise, it did not look good and both Martin Dubravka and Joelinton confronted Duran, who responded to his punishment by kicking a water bottle across the pitch. Emery said Villa would appeal a red card. Howe, on one viewing, felt it was “maybe harsh”.

Joelinton and Alexander Isak scored against Villa (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

It was the second crucial moment of the game, the first coming when Sandro Tonali stole possession from Boubacar Kamara in midfield and flicked it on to Bruno Guimaraes, who found Joelinton, who, in turn, allowed Gordon to finish brilliantly. The third was Alexander Isak’s 10th league goal in as many games, a simple tap-in after quick-witted work from Guimaraes and Jacob Murphy.

There have been peaks and dips but Isak has largely escaped the malaise of 2024. With a game to play, he has mustered 24 Premier League goals, a total only Alan Shearer has beaten across a calendar year in a Newcastle shirt. “He has unbelievable quality,” Howe said. “He’s the right age, he has the right athletic profile. I signed him and love him. I wouldn’t swap him for anyone.”

Isak’s goal settled nerves and effectively settled the game. There were other chances, goals ruled out, Murphy striking the crossbar, and then Joelinton gilded the scoreline after intercepting a pass out from Amadou Onana that straddled negligence and criminality.

Newcastle still have some fundamental questions to answer but, for now, they have some respite and the field has provided them with certainty. If they can go to Old Trafford on Monday and win there in the league for only the second time since 1972, then perhaps those questions about recruitment, vision, their stadium, become less pressing. “It’s small steps,” Howe said. “But we’re not winning by luck. We’re winning strongly.” It has been a long wait, but good things are coming.