Newcastle United have stayed in the race for a European place after a gritty 1-0 victory against Everton at St James' Park.
Miguel Almiron scored the only goal of the game in the 31st minute after leaving Everton 'keeper Jordan Pickford with no chance following a stunning first-time finish from the edge of the area.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
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Miguel Almiron shows Newcastle already have an undroppable winger
Everton were so intent on keeping hold of Anthony Gordon last summer that there was little chance of the Toffees' star lining up for Newcastle in this fixture. However, Newcastle certainly rated Gordon and there was a reason why Howe was keen on bringing in another wide forward last summer as he looked to add more goals to his side.
The profile of attacker Newcastle targeted ultimately changed in the final weeks of the window following Callum Wilson's injury - the Magpies instead smashed their transfer record to sign striker Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad - and that gave Miguel Almiron the opportunity to nail down a place in the starting line-up.
Almiron has always been an effective player out of possession but what has been noticeable this season is the renewed belief the Paraguay international is playing with on the ball. Never was that more apparent than after the half-hour mark on Wednesday night.
Newcastle looked in need of a moment of magic following a sluggish opening and Almiron provided it. Bruno slipped the ball to Almiron on the edge of the area and, without looking up, the Paraguay international guided the ball into the top corner with a superb first-time finish. It was Almiron's fifth goal of the season and, at this rate, the club's top scorer is undroppable.
Newcastle's defence holds firm once again
Everton boss Frank Lampard not only had to come up with a way of stopping Miguel Almiron et al but, also, breaking down the meanest defence in the Premier League. Was it any wonder Lampard admitted his side were 'in for a very tough match because they're a good team on all levels'?
No other side in the top-flight, after all, has conceded fewer goals this season (nine) than Newcastle. That turnaround at the back is all the more striking when you consider that, less than a year ago, Newcastle had an unwanted record for conceding the most goals in a calendar year (80).
Smart recruitment has obviously played its part in Newcastle's transformation since then - Fabian Schar is the only surviving starting defender from the Ashley era - but Eddie Howe has also evolved as a coach. Although Howe has not drastically changed his approach, the 44-year-old made the most of his time out of the game when it came to analysing Bournemouth's poor defensive record and being extremely self-critical.
Whereas Howe's Bournemouth sides were known for conceding an awful lot of goals, the Newcastle boss has built a solid base at Newcastle, which has been the cornerstone of the Magpies' impressive start to the season. This is not just a case of having a good goalkeeper and a solid backline either; the work rate, organisation and athleticism of the whole team off the ball has been crucial, whether it is the way Newcastle's forwards press or how the midfield break up play.
Newcastle show the other side of their game
It is an obvious point to make but that ability to keep the opposition at bay means Newcastle will always have a chance in games - even without injured important attackers like Allan Saint-Maximin and Alexander Isak at the other end of the field. That was the certainly case against Everton. Although Newcastle were frustrated in the opening 25 minutes, crucially, the Magpies did not fall behind during one of Everton's best spells of the game.
In fact, Everton did not have a single shot on target during the whole game. Even when Newcastle tired after the break, and Everton got a second wind, the Magpies still managed to keep the visitors at bay. This was a game where Newcastle might have crumbled in once upon a time, but the hosts now know how to see these games out and that will count for a lot of points this season - even when Howe's side are not at their best.
Jordan Pickford gets quite a 'welcome'
Jordan Pickford has played in some of the biggest games in football, including a European Champions final and a World Cup semi-final, but you suspect the goalkeeper has never experienced a 'welcome' like the one he receives every year at St James' Park. You knew what was going to happen the first time Pickford touched the ball on Wednesday night, but the boos were deafening even when the the former Sunderland shot-stopper made his way to his goal in front of the Leazes End before kick-off.
Newcastle supporters did not let up and, whenever Pickford failed to find a team-mate with a goal kick, the England international was mercilessly jeered. Even 11 games in, it is hard to imagine another opposition player getting a reception quite like that at St James' for the rest of the season.
A glimpse of the future at St James'?
It feels like a lifetime since these two sides met under the lights at St James' Park last season. That was the night Kieran Trippier admitted he had 'never experienced' an atmosphere quite like it while Ryan Fraser said the fans 'got us through that'. Newcastle never looked back after moving out of the relegation zone following that 3-1 win.
The Magpies have only lost one game at St James' since then, against a Liverpool outfit chasing a quadruple at the time, and Howe's side are feeding off the energy of the crowd. When Newcastle were flagging in the second half, the home support stuck with them throughout and help carried the hosts over the line with repeated chants of 'Eddie Howe's black and white army', 'E-I-E-I-E-I-O Up the Premier League we go' and 'Stand up if you love the Toon'.
It was an electric atmosphere and Wor Flags again set the tone before a ball was even kicked with a huge surfer in the Leazes End and flags dotted across the other three stands. It was the first time Sven Botman played in a night game at St James' and the excited Dutchman certainly got a glimpse of what a midweek European night could be like at this stadium in the years to come.
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