Newcastle United have moved up to third place in the table but the Magpies were ultimately frustrated in a goalless draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Newcastle had a number of opportunities to break the deadlock but Joelinton, Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak all failed to make the most of decent openings while the visitors were indebted to goalkeeper Nick Pope for making a brilliant save late on to keep out Jean-Philippe Mateta's effort.
Here are five things we learned from the 0-0 draw.
READ MORE: Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United highlights
Newcastle lack clinical edge
It is not an exaggeration to say that Palace have been Newcastle's bogey team this season. Before this game even kicked off, Patrick Vieira's side had prevented the Magpies scoring in each of their previous encounters earlier in the campaign. Newcastle had 36 shots combined in those Premier League and Carabao Cup fixtures in August and November respectively yet the black-and-whites were unable to find the breakthrough over the course of 90 minutes both times.
This trip to the capital, then, was a real test of just how far Newcastle had come when it came to breaking teams down and taking their chances. Vieira may have said ahead of this game that he 'strongly believed' that there was no reason why Newcastle could not have a say in the title race but, to do that, the Magpies had to go to places like Selhurst Park and get the job done.
Newcastle created some decent openings on Saturday evening but, crucially, the Magpies did not take them against Palace. In fact, the visitors did not even make Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita work properly in the opening half an hour. Miguel Almiron volleyed wide from close range in the sixth minute; Burn's first-time effort was straight at Guaita before the quarter hour mark; and Joelinton's low shot was easily claimed by the Palace shot-stopper just a few minutes later.
Joelinton did force Guaita into his first save of note in the 35th minute when the Palace 'keeper kept out the Brazilian's deflected effort with his legs but that was as close as Newcastle came despite having so much possession and territory. The only sight Callum Wilson had of goal, meanwhile, was a header that was easily claimed by Guaita just after half-time.
Wilson, who has not scored since October, was replaced by Isak in the 70th minute but it said it all about Newcastle's lack of cutting edge that even the substitute similarly saw a tame header easily claimed by Guaita after coming on while fellow substitute Allan Saint-Maximin skied an effort late on. Newcastle are creating the chances, but the Magpies have now scored just four goals in their last six games in all competitions.
Newcastle owners see what's needed in transfer window
You only had to glance at the flurry of well-wishes Chris Wood received from his former Newcastle team-mates after his move to Nottingham Forest went through to realise what a valued member of the squad the striker was. While Wood was never prolific, New Zealand's record goal scorer did a job and played his part in keeping Newcastle up last season. However, Newcastle have evolved since Wood joined the club a year ago. Even Howe admitted himself on Friday that we have 'changed several of our patterns and our way of working' so a target man was no longer required.
Yet, ahead of Saturday's game, Howe warned that failing to replace Wood would leave Newcastle 'dangerously short' and the Magpies boss wants a forward who is 'ready to go'. Although Howe had the luxury of being able to throw on Alexander Isak and Allan Saint-Maximin in the 70th minute, when it came to further attacking changes, Howe only had Jacob Murphy, Elliot Anderson and Matt Ritchie in reserve. Perhaps, then, it was not a surprise that the Magpies boss, tellingly, only made one further substitution when he threw Murphy on with five minutes to go.
Certainly this game - Newcastle's final Premier League fixture before the window shuts - will have given watching owners Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghodoussi and Jamie Reuben some food for thought.
Newcastle stay in hunt in race for Europe
It is still very early days in the race for Europe, but this felt like another huge game for Newcastle. The Magpies not only had the chance to leapfrog Manchester United back into third place ahead of the Red Devils' trip to league leaders Arsenal on Sunday; Eddie Howe's side also had the opportunity to open up a gap on fifth-placed Spurs in the table.
Newcastle may have a first League Cup semi-final in 47 years against Southampton to look forward to on Tuesday night, but you can see why Howe named his strongest available side for this game. A win would be huge against a spirited Palace outfit who took a point off Manchester United in their last game.
Although Newcastle did not take all three points, crucially, the Magpies did not lose the game like they might have in a previous era. Howe's side have now extended their unbeaten streak in the top-flight to a club-record 15 games and stayed in the hunt for that Champions League spot.
Nick Pope helps Newcastle earn a point
Nick Pope had not had to make a save of note when the Newcastle goalkeeper produced the stop of the night in the 73rd minute to, somehow, keep out Palace substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta's venomous effort. It looked like the net was about to bulge when Mateta caught the ball on the volley inside the area, after Dan Burn and Sven Botman got their wires crossed, but Pope tipped it over the bar.
It was a superb save - even Mateta could not help but clap his hands - and Pope really is Newcastle's £10m insurance policy, a goalkeeper who can bail his side out when he is having an otherwise quiet night. Watching England boss Gareth Southgate already knows that.
While Newcastle were not ruthless in front of goal, the Magpies have now kept six consecutive clean sheets in the top-flight for the first time in the club's history. No other side has kept more clean sheets (12) or conceded fewer goals (11) in the Premier League and you have to go back to August for the last time Howe's team even let in a goal in the first half.
Having the meanest defence in the top-flight means few teams are capable of scoring against Newcastle - let alone beating them.
Bruno Guimaraes makes remarkable recovery
Well, well, well. Just six days after leaving the field in tears, and leaving St James' Park on crutches, Bruno Guimaraes was a shock inclusion in Newcastle's starting line-up after making a remarkable recovery from his ankle injury.
Bruno only trained for the first time on Friday, following his positive scan earlier this week, but the midfielder got to go-ahead from the club's medical team to start from the off and completed a full 90 minutes. Bruno was desperate to play in this game and you can see why Howe wanted to give the Brazil international every chance to prove his fitness. After all, there are few all-round midfielders like Bruno. The 25-year-old can not only press and win back possession; he can also start moves and open up defences with his vision and passing range, having been directly involved in six goals this season.
Bruno, in short, helps this side tick and it is not a coincidence that Newcastle had not previously won a league game without their talisman earlier this season. You can see why Allan Saint-Maximin told Premier League Productions: "When he's on the pitch, we play very good football. If we want to be in the Champions League, for sure, we will need a player like him on the pitch."
Although Bruno might not have understandably been at his best on Saturday evening, the midfielder is the definition of a Champions League player.
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