Christmas really has come early for Newcastle United; the Magpies will spend December 25 in the top three following a 1-0 win against Chelsea at St James' Park. No wonder the players savoured the moment in front of the Leazes End at full-time as they punched the air, waved their arms up and down and whipped the crowd into a frenzy.
This is not a vintage Chelsea side - far from it - but Newcastle made the visitors look poor with the intensity with which they played in the final game before the World Cup. Most impressively, Eddie Howe's side found a way to win a tight contest thanks to a superb finish from Joe Willock midway through the second half.
After previously going toe to toe with Man City, unnerving Liverpool (even in defeat), earning a point at Old Trafford and beating Spurs in their own backyard, this felt like a real scalp for third-placed Newcastle. In the words of matchwinner Willock: "We're here to compete - not to take part."
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There can be no doubt about that. Newcastle are now nine points clear of Chelsea and, remarkably, the black-and-whites are just two points off champions City in the table. That has given Howe's side a real platform to build on in the second half of the season.
Yes, the break has come at the wrong time - Newcastle have won five successive Premier League games during an unbeaten run that stretches back to September - but you would not bet against the Magpies coming back an even stronger outfit after Christmas when a fit and firing Jonjo Shelvey, Allan Saint-Maximin and Alexander Isak will all play their part.
These players will certainly benefit from having a mini pre-season under Howe and his staff, who have turned a side who once struggled to see out games and hold onto leads into a streetwise winning machine. Never was that more apparent than in the seven minutes of stoppage time on Saturday night when Newcastle supporters cheered every tackle and clearance like their team had scored.
Even captain Jamaal Lascelles made his own small contribution despite not being on the pitch. Lascelles was smartly positioned high up on the touchline, as if he was warming up, when the unused substitute slowed down Marc Cucurella late on as the Chelsea defender attempted to take a throw-in. Lascelles picked up a yellow card for his troubles but, crucially, the skipper wound the clock down and wound the visitors up.
The sound of the full-time whistle only seemed to infuriate Chelsea further a few seconds later and Kai Havertz immediately made a beeline for Dan Burn. Havertz was pushed away by both Fabian Schar and Joelinton before Jacob Murphy gave the Germany international a shove. That was the cue for Jorginho and Hakim Ziyech to grab Murphy and, before you knew it, a full-blown melee had broken out right in front of the Leazes End.
Even furious Chelsea assistant coach Bruno rushed over to have some strong words with former Brighton team-mate Burn while Jason Tindall had to act as a peacemaker when the Newcastle number two separated Thiago Silva and Sven Botman after Mason Mount had fumed at Sean Longstaff. Newcastle, the team Chelsea had defeated in seven of the previous eight meetings, had got under the Blues' skin.
You can't help but feel that Chelsea got what they deserved from the game: nothing. Whereas Chelsea put men behind the ball, and set up to contain Newcastle with a back five, the Magpies pressed in packs as Howe literally waved his side up the field.
That was clear from the off and there were 16 minutes on the clock when Sean Longstaff slipped Joe Willock in down the left with a through ball. The midfielder shook off Cesar Azpilicueta before floating a cross towards Chris Wood at the back post. Kalidou Koulibaly got to the ball first, but the Chelsea defender's headed clearance inadvertently teed up Miguel Almiron on the volley. Almiron did not need a second invitation, but the in-form Paraguay international fired the ball over the bar.
Remarkably, that was one of the few chances of note in a rather uneventful first half where there was just one shot on target, on the half-hour mark, when Armando Broja's tame effort was easily claimed by Nick Pope. Newcastle did have a shout for a penalty just before the break, but referee Robert Jones waved those appeals away after Dan Burn's cross struck the hand of Trevoh Chalobah as the Chelsea centre-back slid in inside the area.
It was finely poised at the break but, having already lost Ruben Loftus-Cheek to injury earlier in the game, Chelsea were forced into another change at half-time after Cesar Azpilicueta limped off. Christian Pulisic came on for the Chelsea captain and, tellingly, Potter stuck with a back five as Conor Gallagher moved over to right-wing back.
That showed just how wary Potter was of Newcastle and Chelsea just could not get out of their own half in the early stages of the second half as Howe's relentless side put the visitors under pressure and started to create one or two openings. In the 51st minute, Trippier's deep cross was headed back across the goal by Joelinton to Wood, whose shot was smothered by the onrushing Mendy. Newcastle recycled the ball and, just a few seconds later, Almiron's pullback was fired over by Longstaff.
Supporters roared in encouragement but, as unambitious as Chelsea were, the Blues still had some game-changers who could hurt Newcastle on the break. Pulisic is just one of those and the winger was sent galloping down the left midway through the second half. Trippier managed to get back to make a recovery tackle and pick out Bruno Guimaraes, but the playmaker was dispossessed by Gallagher, who played a one-two with Pulisic before letting fly from the edge of the area with a curling effort. The shot looked destined for the net, but Pope made a fantastic save to push the ball behind.
In a game of few opportunities, it was a huge moment and, just a couple of minutes later, Newcastle were ahead. Joelinton hooked the ball over Chelsea's static defence to Almiron down the right and the in-form forward took Koulibaly for a jog across the box before the ball eventually fell to Willock, whose first-time effort left Edouard Mendy with no chance.
The noise that followed was deafening as supporters chanted: "We're Newcastle and we're going to win the league." You suspect, once again, they were only half-joking.
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