Newcastle United have moved up to fifth place in the table after Miguel Almiron popped up with a late winner in a 2-1 victory against Wolves at St James' Park.
Alexander Isak opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark with a fine header from Kieran Trippier's free-kick before Hwang Hee-chan equalised in the 70th minute following a mix-up at the back. Wolves were not level for long, however, and Almiron fired Newcastle in front just a few minutes later.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
READ MORE: Newcastle United vs Wolves highlights
Miguel Almiron's perfect response after Howe gets ruthless
You do not need to have a Pro Licence to realise why Newcastle had been stuttering in recent weeks. Newcastle had not been playing badly by any means - far from it, in fact - but the Magpies were simply not taking their chances. Newcastle had a whopping 102 shots in their previous eight league games yet only had three measly goals to show for their efforts. Yes, Newcastle have been creating opportunities, but Howe's side had just not been taking them.
Howe's selections up front, then, were always going to be telling on Sunday against a Wolves side who had only kept a single clean sheet in the top-flight all season. Would Howe remain loyal to Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson, who have scored nearly half of Newcastle's league goals this season, or opt to freshen up his forward line at a time when the pair had not been firing?
Howe went for the latter as the Newcastle boss made five changes overall and swapped out his entire frontline after Anthony Gordon missed the game with an ankle injury. Wilson, who had been struggling with illness, and Almiron dropped out and Jacob Murphy, Alexander Isak and Allan Saint-Maximin all came into the starting line-up. Given how rarely Howe makes changes - let alone five at once - it felt like a reminder that no one is untouchable.
Yet, when Newcastle needed a winner, Almiron was there to step up as a substitute in the 79th minute. It was a trademark goal from the Paraguay international, who played a one-two with Joe Willock, before cutting onto his left foot and picking out the far corner from just inside the area via a deflection from Max Kilman. Almiron could have sulked after being dropped, but it said it all that the substitute made an impact - and that he was so overjoyed to score, hugging supporters before repeatedly pointing to the Newcastle badge on his chest.
Alexander Isak offers a glimpse of what's to come
If it was a familiar face who won Newcastle the game, well, Alexander Isak opened the scoring in the first place after the record signing got the nod up front.
There were 26 minutes on the clock when Kieran Trippier swung in a superb curling free-kick into the box and it was Isak who rose highest to direct his header past Sa and take the roof off St James'. There has been a lot of talk about Isak's best position but this was a fine centre forward's display from the Sweden international, who pressed, linked play and caused Wolves' defenders real problems with his ability to run in behind. Isak even whipped the crowd up by raising his hands up and down at various moments.
Newcastle certainly looked a different side with Isak and the confidence quickly surged through the side after the record signing's header. Joe Willock had an effort deflected wide following a goalmouth scramble just a couple of minutes later before Bruno Guimaraes' header struck the crossbar in the 35th minute after Dan Burn hooked Trippier's deep corner back into the danger zone. No wonder Isak was handed a standing ovation when he was replaced by Wilson in the 68th minute. This felt like a glimpse of what is to come from the watching owners' record investment.
Newcastle's European dream is still on
The term must-win game has come to mean something very different to what it did at Newcastle little more than a year ago. Whereas Newcastle were once fighting for their lives in the division, the Magpies now needed three points to reignite their push for Europe after a run of just one victory in eight in the top-flight.
Picking up a win was all the more important following the weekend's results. Newcastle had a chance to leapfrog Liverpool in the table after the Reds' defeat against Bournemouth while Howe's side also had the opportunity to close the gap on fourth-placed Spurs to four points while still having two games in hand.
Clearly, Newcastle's fate was still in their own hands with 14 matches to go. As Wolves boss Julen Loptegui said himself: “I love to see them. They are one of the best teams in the Premier League. They are ready to fight for the Champions League."
Yet Newcastle had to prove it against a Wolves side who had defeated Spurs last week and thumped Liverpool last month. While this was not a perfect performance by any means, crucially, the hosts found a way to win and that is what they are going to have to continue to do to realise their European dream.
Sloppy defending rears its head again
Newcastle may still have the meanest defence in the Premier League, but Howe's vulnerable side have given away a number of soft goals in recent weeks. Hwang Hee-chan's equaliser was the latest to add to a growing list. Newcastle had a host of opportunities to clear their lines in the build-up before Nick Pope and Kieran Trippier got their wires crossed as the Magpies 'keeper came to gather and his England team-mate ended up inadvertently squaring the ball to Hwang after he slipped. Hwang could not miss.
While Newcastle managed to keep Wolves quiet for 69 minutes, the visitors sent plenty of warning shots and were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty before Isak even opened the scoring after Pope appeared to take down Raul Jimenez. Daniel Podence then hit the post before half-time before Pope made two crucial saves to keep out substitute Pedro Neto's venomous effort and Joao Moutinho's stunning volley before Wolves levelled.
Newcastle have now failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last five league games and that is a record Howe and his staff will want to improve sooner rather than later.
Crowd play their part at St James'
After suffering a first home defeat since April against Liverpool last month, how would Newcastle respond at St James' Park? Could the Magpies kickstart another unbeaten run at home against a Wolves side who had only won one league game on the road in 2023?
Getting the crowd into the game from the off with a fast start was going to be crucial and Newcastle put in one of their best first-half performances of 2023 as the hosts pressed high and forced Wolves into mistakes. Equally, when Wolves equalised late in the second half, the crowd stood by Newcastle and pushed Howe's side on to go and get a winner. Even when Almiron scored, supporters helped their side over the line as they repeatedly whistled, urging referee Andy Madley to blow up.
In truth, this stadium has been a fortress for Eddie Howe. In fact, Liverpool and Man City are the only sides who have defeated Newcastle at St James' in the Premier League since the 45-year-old took charge nearly 18 months ago. There are some huge games to come at home against Manchester United, Spurs, Southampton, Arsenal and Leicester City that will go a long way to deciding where this side finish.
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