Five things we learned from Newcastle's 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur
Newcastle United looked all set to make it three Premier League wins on the spin when they led Tottenham Hotspur deep into injury time, only to concede late to come away with a 2-2 draw.
Cristian Romero's double earned Spurs a point, cancelling out Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon goals. It was a night of deep frustration for Eddie Howe and his players.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
Eddie Howe hits out at team
It's rare for Howe to have a pop at his players but his post-match press conference saw him come as close to it as he ever will.
The Magpies manager was very downbeat after seeing his side throw away another victory. He called out his players' inability to control the game after they went ahead late on, the way they turned over possession and their defending and attacking from set pieces.
"We lost territory and the ability to get up the pitch. It's something for us to look at," was one comment. "I don't think we were particularly good on set plays in either box," was another.
There was a lot of implied criticism in the immediate aftermath of what was a draw, but felt like a defeat. You sense stern words will be had when the squad returns to training.
Sunderland concern
The Wear-Tyne derby is on everyone's mind. There may still be games to be played between now and the big December 14 date but it's still dominating thoughts, from who may be suspended to what the points difference will be.
Sunderland have stolen an unexpected march on their rivals this season but with tough away games against Liverpool tonight (Wednesday) and Man City on Saturday, United fans were dreaming of reeling them in and even going into the derby ahead in the table.
As the Spurs game entered stoppage time that was entirely plausible. Newcastle were up to seventh, a point behind sixth-placed Sunderland before Wednesday's fixtures. But the late leveller means they are back down in 13th and still three points adrift.
Of equal concern will be the late concession of goals. Especially given the Black Cats 'Til The End' motto which has seen them score on numerous occasions in the latter parts of games.
Bruno's home run continues
He was supposed to be rested but Bruno Guimaraes showed you can't keep him out of the limelight for long. Being left out of the starting line-up didn't seem to faze the skipper as he laughed and joked his way through the warm-up, displaying all the infectious enthusiasm that has made him such a favourite.
Guimaraes was called upon earlier than perhaps he and Howe expected. Sandro Tonali's first-half knock meant he didn't reappear after the break, and it didn't take his replacement long to make his mark. With Newcastle seeking inspiration, Bruno fired home a superbly-placed effort on 71 minutes to open the scoring.
He's the darling of the Gallowgate, and has now been involved in 12 goals in his last 20 home Premier League games, scoring (three) or assisting (one) in each of his last four matches at St James' Park.
Century up but one stat is worrying
Newcastle's record against Tottenham is very good. Anthony Gordon's penalty was the 100th Premier League goal the Magpies have scored against Spurs, the first team they have racked up a century against.
It should have been enough to beat Thomas Frank's side who came into the game on a downer after a poor display against Fulham, but the visitors showed their fighting spirit, charging into challenges and leaving their mark on Sandro Tonali, Joelinton and Tino Livramento.
Newcastle had won five of their last six games against Spurs and when Gordon gave them the lead again on 86 minutes they should have seen it through. The only stat that matters now is the one that says Newcastle have thrown away 11 points from winning positions this season already.
Burn shoves Schar
Dan Burn's position in this Newcastle squad was being questioned not too long ago. On the eve of the Champions League clash against Athletic Bilbao, he was up before the media stressing that he had not only been playing well but reminding everyone that his best position is centre-half; that's where he was playing when he won Player of the Season.
The suspension after the Brentford red card saw Fabian Schar come in as the left-sided centre-half alongside Malick Thiaw. The duo contained Erling Haaland and Schar kept his place for the Marseille clash, albeit with Burn instantly recalled in a back five.
But with Howe reverting to a four-man defence at Everton, it was a toss up between the Swiss star and the man from Blyth. Burn got the nod. In his programme notes pre-match, Burn said: "I enjoyed going back to centre-half, having played left-back for a while."
He kept his place for the Spurs game, captaining the side as well. He will be disappointed with the way he allowed Romero to get ahead of him for Tottenham's first goal but with Sven Botman injured, Burn and Thiaw are now nailed down as Howe's preferred defensive partnership.