Newcastle United have moved up to third and defeated a fellow Premier League outfit in a penalty shootout in the space of just a few days. All without even being at their best.
Wednesday night's win against Crystal Palace was just the third time in history that Newcastle had prevailed on spot-kicks in a major competition and, clearly, the club's fortunes are changing. This was a night, after all, where Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea were all knocked out of the Carabao Cup as the draw opened up.
However, Newcastle would not have even been in the hat for the fourth round without goalkeeper Nick Pope, who, again, kept his place in a much-changed side as one of the few untouchables on the pitch. Following a goalless 90 minutes, the Newcastle number one stepped up to deny Luka Milivojevic, Jean-Philippe Mateta and, finally, Malcolm Ebiowei in a dramatic 3-2 shootout win.
READ MORE: Newcastle have got a bargain, future stadium glimpse and Arsenal and Chelsea boost - 5 things
Much-changed Newcastle were off it but, yet again, the black-and-whites got a result on a night where a shot-stopper like Pope really was the difference. Not only did Pope make those aforementioned penalty saves; the England international produced a superb first-half stop to keep out Mateta's venomous effort at his near post in a game of few clear cut chances.
That such an uneventful contest went to penalties came as no huge surprise and Newcastle even prepared for the eventuality on the eve of the tie. However, nothing quite replicates the real thing.
The usually unflappable Bruno Guimaraes, for instance, skied his effort over the bar on Wednesday night after opting for a stuttered run-up. Bruno cut a forlorn figure in the team photograph afterwards, but it said a lot about the midfielder's character that he wanted to take a spot-kick in the first place. The same can be said for Sven Botman, for that matter, who saw his penalty saved by Sam Johnstone, and Howe will have certainly taken note of that.
The pair will be safe in the knowledge that Newcastle have now reached the last 16 of the competition for only the second time since 2017 and given how devastating a shootout defeat can be, the contrasting feeling in the dressing room after the game could set the Magpies up nicely for the visit of Chelsea, which is an obvious added bonus of going through.
"It's really good for the squad that we got through the game and those players that came in feel the positivity of winning," Howe told reporters. "We keep our momentum and we go into Saturday's game, our last game at the start of this season, in a really good frame of mind. Hopefully, we can finish this sequence of games on a high."
It was far from a classic cup tie on Wednesday night - the 0-0 scoreline tells you that - but history was made under the lights before a ball was even kicked after Newcastle were backed by a record crowd at St James' Park for a Carabao Cup tie. With 51,660 supporters in attendance, this certainly did not feel like a third-round cup clash.
Newcastle now have the manager and means to finally attack the cups and supporters can clearly sense it. Rather than being burdened by the club's trophy drought, Howe has embraced it as he challenged his side to create their own history. The players hardly need any further motivation.
For many, after all, this was an opportunity to stake a claim after Howe stuck with a settled line-up during the club's superb unbeaten run in the Premier League in recent weeks. Chris Wood was among those eager to start after his goalscoring cameo at Southampton at the weekend and the Newcastle striker felt 'we've definitely got a big enough squad to compete in both and that's what we're about. We're a big club.' Captain Jamaal Lascelles, meanwhile, said 'we feel primed to have a cup run - 100 percent'. Pope admitted it would be 'massive' for the group of players to 'deliver that for the city'.
So could Newcastle prove they were serious contenders against another top-flight side? Palace, of course, were in good form themselves and the visitors frustrated Newcastle in a goalless draw at St James' Park just 67 days previously after, somehow, escaping with a point.
Perhaps, then, it was not a surprise that Howe named a strong side. The Newcastle boss may have made eight changes, all told, but Nick Pope, Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Sean Longstaff and Joelinton were among those included in the starting line-up while Jonjo Shelvey made his first start since April and Allan Saint-Maximin returned to the XI for the first time since August.
Yet, despite what was at stake, Newcastle made a strangely subdued start in a strangely flat opening from both sides. It said it all that the mere sight of substitutes Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman and Miguel Almiron warming up on the touchline elicited one of the biggest cheers of the first half. That's how uneventful the opening 45 minutes were.
Newcastle looked like a side who had made eight changes and the Magpies' backline struggled to handle the movement of Mateta. It was Mateta who had the first chance of the night in the 22nd minute, but Pope made a brilliant save to keep out the striker and push the ball over the bar.
Newcastle lacked rhythm and, remarkably, the only effort on target the hosts had early on was a tame shot from Elliot Anderson that was easily saved by Sam Johnstone on the half-hour mark. Disjointed Newcastle badly looked in need of inspiration and Shelvey took it upon himself to try and lob Johnstone off his line from a free-kick just inside Palace's half, but the ball bounced wide.
This was such a tepid half that Shelvey's effort was the closest Newcastle came to scoring. It felt like a 45 minutes from a previous era, but the home support stuck with their side and tried to encourage the players as they applauded them off the field at the break.
It would have taken much, but Newcastle, surely, had to offer a little more after half-time - and they did. There were 46 minutes on the clock when James Tomkins' backpass was intercepted by Wood and the Newcastle striker's shot was kept out by the feet of Johnstone.
Then, in the 55th minute, Burn got his head on the end of Saint-Maximin's cross but Johnstone made the save. Although the assistant's flag was up for offside, regardless, supporters took heart as they tried to lift their side.
They were given further encouragement midway through the second half when Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman all came on in the 66th minute. The trio entered the field to a deafening roar and Newcastle fed off that energy. The noise levels increased once more when man of the moment Miguel Almiron entered the fray in the 78th minute.
Almiron is in red-hot form - scoring seven goals in his previous seven games - and the Paraguay international quickly forced Johnstone into a fine stop after being slipped in by Trippier. It was the closest Newcastle came to a winner in normal time and, despite a late push from the hosts, the tie was ultimately settled by a shootout - and the hands of Pope.
READ NEXT
Newcastle transfer targets given 'great platform' as Eddie Howe set to use 'recruitment tool'
Eddie Howe's rousing words Yasir Al-Rumayyan will love after Newcastle owner revealed objective
Everything Eddie Howe said at Newcastle United press conference ahead of Crystal Palace clash
Newcastle's 'anger' as 'dangerous' mentality changes, Southampton taunt and broken Hasenhuttl
Newcastle's scary warning to Premier League, Sven Botman's fury and ruthless Bruno - 5 things
