The Northern Echo

Gonzalez completed his £50m move from Manchester City yesterday and was paraded in front of the fans at St James’ Park ahead of the Magpies’ Carabao Cup second-round win over West Brom.

The midfielder is match fit, having been involved in part of City’s pre-season programme, and trained with his new team-mates at Newcastle’s KNOX training complex earlier today.

Matthias Jaissle has been happy with the way in which the Spaniard has settled in since moving to Tyneside, and is considering handing him an immediate debut at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend.

“He [Gonzalez] trained with us and he looked sharp,” said the Newcastle boss. “He’s an option [for the Spurs game]. He is a smart player, he has huge potential, and already he brings huge quality to the squad.”

While Newcastle showed plenty of positive signs as they drew 2-2 with Liverpool in their opening game of the season, Roberto de Zerbi’s new-look Spurs side looked well off the pace as they crashed to a 3-0 defeat at Brentford.

Nevertheless, with Spurs having added to their ranks again this week with the double capture of Savio and Omar Marmoush from Manchester City, Jaissle will not be underestimating the scale of the challenge as he oversees his first competitive away game as Newcastle boss.

“We will be facing a top team and it is a difficult challenge,” he said. “But we will not change our approach. We are facing a really strong opponent, but with our playing style, we can cause any opponents problems.”

Newcastle are set to come up against a Spurs team featuring former Magpies midfielder Sandro Tonali on Saturday, with the Italian having left Tyneside in a £100m move earlier this summer.

Last weekend, Jaissle’s side successfully shackled former Newcastle forward Alexander Isak, and the German is hoping for a similar outcome against Tonali.

“I was aware he [Tonali] was a player here, a really important player here who left the club,” he said. “Tottenham signed him, as a huge signing, so we are facing a huge challenge on Saturday.

“It is always nice to face old team-mates, so there should at least be special motivation. That worked against Isak already, so hopefully it will work for us on Saturday."

Terry Dyson, a key member of Bill Nicholson's all-conquering team of the early 1960s, was born in Malton and attended the town's secondary school.

Famously small in stature at 5ft 3ins, he scored in the FA Cup Final as we clinched the 'double' of league championship and FA Cup in 1961 and produced arguably his best display in the 1963 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, when he scored twice as we beat Atletico Madrid 5-1 to become the first British side to claim a European trophy.

Terry Dyson ducks under the FA Cup held aloft by skipper Danny Blanchflower and fellow goalscorer Bobby Smith after the 1961 FA Cup Final

Terry also remains the only Spurs player to score a hat-trick in the north London derby.

Born in Malton, on 29 November, 1934, the son of jockey 'Ginger' Dyson, Terry was invited for a trial after a Spurs scout watched him score five goals for the Army in a match against the Guards. He joined us as an amateur in December, 1954 before signing professional forms in April, 1955.

Posting on the Tottenham website, the club said: "Terry went on to spend 10 successful years at White Hart Lane. Famed for his tenacious nature and fierce competitive spirit, he spent his early days as understudy to George Robb and Terry Medwin before Cliff Jones' arrival in 1958 would appear to limit his chances again but, despite interest from other clubs, Bill kept him at Spurs and it paid dividends.

Terry Dyson pictured with the Cup Winners' Cup trophy in 2013 - 50 years after the final

Playing mainly down the left flank, with Cliff on the right of a formidable forward line, Terry started 47 of our 49 matches in the double season, weighing in with an impressive 17 goals (12 in the league, five in the FA Cup) and none more important than his diving header in the FA Cup Final against Leicester City, where our 2-0 win saw us become the first team to clinch the league and FA Cup 'double' in the 20th century.

His most famous moment in a white shirt arrived two years later, when he scored twice as we became the first British team to win a European trophy with a 5-1 demolition of Atletico Madrid in the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup.

His team-mate and fellow goalscorer in the 1961 FA Cup Final, striker Bobby Smith, said to Terry afterwards, 'you better retire now, you'll never play better'.

Terry Dyson and fellow goalscorer Bobby Smith after the 1961 FA Cup Final

Terry stayed for another two years, taking his total of appearances in all competitions to 209, scoring a superb tally of 55 goals.

From Spurs, Terry moved to Fulham in May, 1965 and had spells at Colchester, Guildford City and Wealdstone before managerial stints at Kingsbury, Wingate, Dagenham - where he won the FA Trophy in 1980 - Boreham Wood, Ruislip and Kingsbury Town.

He was then a referee's observer for the Premier Academy League for a spell from 1999, when he was a regular visitor to matches at our former training ground, Spurs Lodge.

A true Spurs great, we would like to send our condolences to Terry’s family and friends at this sad time."

Terry Dyson pictured with double team-mates Cliff Jones and Terry Medwin in 2021

Tottenham’s 1961 double-winner Terry Dyson was born in Malton and attended the town's

The Premier League club confirmed Dyson’s death on Thursday and paid tribute to their former winger, who made 209 appearances and scored 55 goals for Spurs across a 10-year spell.

Dyson was a key figure in Bill Nicholson’s 1960-61 side who were the first English team in the 20th century to achieve a First Division and FA Cup double, but one of his finest moments occurred two years later when he scored a brace in a 5-1 victory over Atletico Madrid to secure European Cup Winners’ Cup success.

“The club is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of our former player Terry Dyson at the age of 91,” a Tottenham statement read.

“Terry was a key part of our double-winning side in 1961, scoring in the FA Cup Final. He also scored twice in the 1963 European Cup Winners’ Cup Final. He made 209 appearances in all competitions, scoring 55 goals.

“Our deepest condolences are with Terry’s family and friends at this incredibly sad time.”

Dyson played for Fulham, Colchester and Guildford after a distinguished spell at Spurs.

Yorkshire-born Dyson remains the only Tottenham player to score a hat-trick against fierce rivals Arsenal, which he achieved at the start of the 1961-62 campaign.

Back in 2020, Dyson told the Press Association: “One of them hit my hand. It bounced up, hit my hand and I lashed it in and the Arsenal players went mad.

“They ran after the referee but he never saw it. I didn’t do it deliberately but it hit my hand and I just lashed it in.

“To get a hat-trick was brilliant and nobody has done it since. There was a header, a left foot and a right foot. It was perfect!”

Dyson celebrated with “a few drinks” and also received small praise from perfectionist Nicholson.

“His praise wasn’t brilliant, he didn’t throw it out willy-nilly, but he said well done and I was like ‘oh thanks Bill!’ We went out that night and had a few drinks, so it was good,” Dyson said six years ago.

“It is amazing, you don’t think of it at the time but it has gone down in history.”

Boro had agreed an initial fee of around £7m with Tottenham for the 21-year-old defender and were also ready to sign off on a series of potential add-ons that Spurs officials had wanted to include as part of the deal.

Phillips is understood to have visited Boro’s Rockliffe Park training ground at the end of last week in the hope of a transfer being finalised over the weekend.

However, as the situation has developed, so all parties have decided to pause discussions with some elements of the proposed transfer still to be completed.

The deal is not off, with Boro officials expected to hold further talks with Phillips and his representatives and the hierarchy at Spurs in the next few days.

As things stand though, all parties are considering their options ahead of the start of the Championship season next weekend.

Manchester-born Phillips began his career in the youth set-up at Blackburn Rovers before making a £2m move to Tottenham in the summer of 2023.

He spent the second half of the 2023-24 season on loan at Plymouth Argyle, and has had two loan spells with Stoke, making 83 senior appearances for the Potters.

Boro confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Radek Vitek from Manchester United yesterday, with the Czech shot-stopper available to make his debut in Saturday’s Championship season-opener against Lincoln City.

Boro’s recruitment team, led by head of football Kieran Scott, are understood to have agreed the framework of a deal for Lankshear with the hierarchy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Boro officials will now attempt to push through a permanent deal for the 21-year-old, who has been one of the most in-demand forwards in the Football League since the start of the summer.

The Teessiders are hopeful of beating off competition from a number of different clubs to sign Lankshear, who has been on Boro’s transfer radar for the last couple of years.

Lankshear joined Spurs from Sheffield United’s academy ranks in the summer of 2022 for a sum of around £2m.

He made his senior Tottenham debut in a Europa League game in October 2024, and spent the second half of the 2024-25 season on loan at West Brom, making 11 senior appearances for the Baggies.

He spent last season on a season-long loan at Oxford United, and while his temporary employers suffered relegation, his time at the Kassam Stadium was regarded as a major success as he scored 12 goals in 46 appearances in all competitions.

Boro looked into the possibility of signing Lankshear in the January transfer window, but the youngster remained at Oxford and saw out the season with the Us.

Strong, athletic and a leader of the line adept at holding up possession, Lankshear’s signing would add another dimension to Boro’s attacking play.

Kim Hellberg has suggested that he will continue to use Tommy Conway as a wide attacker next season, meaning David Strelec, Kaly Sene and the unproven Cruz Ibeh are currently the only central-attacking options on Boro’s books.

The Magpies kicked off their pre-season campaign by beating National League North side Darlington 3-0 in a behind-closed-doors game at their newly-renamed KNOX training complex yesterday.

Summer signings Ewen Jaouen and Sean Steur both featured in the game – Bazoumana Toure is yet to join up with his new team-mates after representing Ivory Coast at the World Cup – with Newcastle’s recruitment team currently working on multiple targets as they look to make further additions to the first-team squad.

Bergvall’s name was initially mentioned during discussions with the Tottenham hierarchy over the sale of Sandro Tonali, with the north London club looking to move on the Sweden international this summer.

Rather than Newcastle tabling a formal bid for Bergvall, it is understood the possibility of a deal for the midfielder was again raised in talks last week, with Newcastle officials expressing an interest in a possible transfer and suggesting they would be willing to go to around £46m for a player who has made 78 senior appearances for Spurs, scoring two goals, since signing from Djurgarden for around £8.5m in February 2024.

Spurs chiefs indicated a bid at that level would be rejected, bringing conversations with Newcastle’s executive team to an end.

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There is still scope for the Magpies to table a higher bid in an attempt to force through a deal, but sources suggest there is currently no appetite on Tyneside for that to happen.

Nottingham Forest have also been involved in a series of discussions over Bergvall, and the feeling amongst Newcastle officials is that Spurs are trying to drum up as much interest as possible in an attempt to spark a bidding war.

Having missed out on Johan Manzambi, whose move to Aston Villa from Freiburg was confirmed at the end of last week, Newcastle continue to prioritise the purchase of a new midfielder, with a number of targets ‘on the table’. Preliminary discussions are understood to have taken place with at least two different midfielders, with Magpies officials hopeful of making significant progress in the next couple of days.

They thought they had secured a deal for Manzambi a couple of weeks ago, but the Switzerland international opted to move to Villa Park after Aston Villa rushed through a move of their own following a cruciate injury to midfielder Amadou Onana.

Manzambi had agreed the personal terms of a planned move to St James’ Park, but admits the lure of Champions League football with Villa was sufficient to persuade him to reject Newcastle’s interest.

“I’m very excited to play in Villa Park,” said Manzambi. “I am very, very happy and I am excited to play with this club.

“It’s a very big club in England, and they’re playing in the Champions League. I’ve already played against Aston Villa, and for me, it was the perfect plan. I hope I can play the same as in the World Cup and with Freiburg. I’m sure that with the team, the coach and the staff that I can do the same.

“I’m very excited. I could see on the pitch that he was a very good trainer. I’m very excited to be here and to be training with Unai Emery and the team.”

Newcastle began their pre-season programme yesterday without Fabian Schar, Tino Livramento and Lewis Miley, who are completing their respective recoveries from the injuries that ruled them out towards the end of last season.

Eddie Howe fielded completely different line-ups for the two halves of the game, with Newcastle scoring two goals before the break as they fielded their strongest line-up featuring the likes of Nick Pope, Sven Botman, Lewis Hall, Joe Willock, Will Osula and new signing Steur.

Willock opened the scoring in the 29th minute, turning home from close range following a cross from Jacob Murphy, with Osula adding a second from the penalty spot six minutes later after Willock had been fouled by Ben Hedley.

The second half line-up saw Jaouen make his first appearance in Newcastle colours following his summer move from Reims alongside a host of youngsters.

Sean Neave, who made his breakthrough into the senior ranks last season, scored the Magpies’ third goal with a low finish following a strong run through the Darlington defence.

Newcastle play their first public pre-season game next weekend when they make the short trip to Gateshead on Saturday lunchtime.

Newcastle (first half): Pope, Shahar, A Murphy, Botman, Hall, Ramsey, Willock, Steur, Murphy, Osula, Barnes.

Newcastle (second half): Jaouen, M Miley, Pivas, Craggs, Charlton, Finneran, Munda, Neave, Sanusi, Seung-soo, Salia.

Tonali has joined Spurs in a £100m deal that sees the London club pay an initial fee of £92.5m, with a further £7.5m of add-ons also included as part of the final package.

The fee is the second-highest Newcastle have ever received for selling one of their players, behind only the £125m agreement that took Alexander Isak to Liverpool last summer.

Having joined Newcastle from AC Milan in the summer of 2023, Tonali leaves Tyneside having made 110 senior appearances for the Magpies, scoring ten goals.

He was part of the team that won the Carabao Cup in March 2025, and also played a prominent role in Newcastle’s two Champions League campaigns during his time in the North-East.

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However, his spell at St James’ Park was blighted by the ten-month ban for gambling offences that occurred during his time in Italy, but which was served while he was a Newcastle player, with the club and its fans standing by him throughout his suspension.

Posting on his Instagram, Tonali said: "Three years ago I came to Newcastle not really knowing what to expect. Today it’s time to say goodbye and it’s hard to find the right words.

“Above all, I want to speak directly to the fans. When things were hard for me, you were there. Not for one day did I feel alone. I felt it every time I was at St James’ Park. That’s something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Spurs' club-record signing of Tonali continues a remarkable summer spending spree that has seen the north London club spend £85m on Mateus Fernandes in a deal that was announced on Thursday and £52m to bring Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, taking their total spending to £237m. Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have also signed as free agents,

"I'm very happy to be here," said Tonali, on Spurs' official website after his move was confirmed. "When I arrived at the club today, it felt fantastic. People said about there being four or five clubs - there was only one.

"I spoke to the head coach for close to two hours about the club, the fans, the stadium and our football. It was like magic because I knew immediately that I had to sign for Tottenham. I've played against Tottenham a few times and always found a great atmosphere made by great fans. I can't wait to start the season."

Roberto de Zerbi's presence in the Tottenham dugout was a major factor in Tonali choosing to join a club that finished a lowly 17th in the Premier League table last season.

"Sandro is a special player and a great signing for our club," said the Spurs boss. "I have followed him for a long time, as he came through the youth system at my hometown club, Brescia, and I'm so happy to be working with him now.

"Given his qualities, there was a lot of interest in Sandro this summer. However, he was very clear in his desire to join Tottenham, and I know our fans will love what he brings to the team."

A year on from Europa League glory and Spurs’ first trophy in 17 years, the north London club face the prospect of a catastrophic first relegation since 1977 if they lose at home and 18th-placed West Ham get the better of Leeds.

The build-up to a seismic match in the history of Tottenham has been overshadowed by the controversial move of injured captain Cristian Romero to fly to Argentina to continue his rehabilitation from a knee issue ahead of the World Cup, but De Zerbi will not waste any energy on the topic.

He said: “I don’t want to answer about Romero, about (Dejan) Kulusevski.

“They can’t play, they don’t play and they are not here. My focus is on Djed Spence, on (Randal) Kolo Muani, on Richarlison.

“We have to play and to play with blood, with character and with spirit because it’s a final. They played a great final last season and they won a trophy.

“Maybe there was a bonus, no? After tomorrow, there is not a trophy, there is not a bonus, there is something more important than a trophy and a bonus, there is the future of the club.

“There is the history of the club, there is the pride of the players, there is the pride of the family of the players, there is the dignity of every one of us, and for that, I can’t lose energy thinking about the next season.”

Romero’s decision to go back to Argentina has sparked anger amongst the fanbase, but there will be support shown for those involved on Sunday with the team coach set to be welcomed to the stadium by thousands of Spurs fans.

De Zerbi was also happy to dish out praise to stand-in captain Micky van de Ven, he added: “I think he is the best centre back in the Premier League.

“We talk a lot of time because I think he suffered maybe too much for the situation of Tottenham this season. He’s a sensitive guy, he’s a good guy and in my time, I think he played amazing.

“And for that, I’d answer he’s the best centre back, left centre, in the Premier League.”

After Kolo Muani produced an abysmal display in a 2-1 loss at Chelsea on Tuesday, De Zerbi must ponder whether to give the Paris St Germain loanee one final chance, but he does have other options, including Spence after his a call-up to England’s World Cup squad.

“I love Djed as a guy,” De Zerbi reflected.

“He has a big heart, he is a big player and a big guy.

“Right wing we can play Kolo Muani, (Lucas) Bergvall, Souza like Liverpool game, we can play Djed Spence.

“We can play Mathys Tel in the right side and (James) Maddison on the left side, or Pape Sarr in the left side and Mathys Tel in the right side.

“We have to find the solution.”

Sean Dyche has this weekend quashed rumours he is in talks with Spurs but described the relegation-threatened team as a “brilliant club” amid speculation over Igor Tudor’s position.

A run of five defeats in seven matches under interim head coach Tudor has placed his job at threat, with their position in the Premier League a precarious one.

Tudor is currently dealing with the death of his father Mario but Dyche has been named by bookmakers as one of the leading contenders to take over if Tottenham were to make a change and the appearance of the ex-Burnley boss in a London pub on Friday sparked interest on social media.

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However, Dyche during an appearance on talkSPORT, laughed: “Ah, it’s brilliant, honestly.

“I was in the pub just up the way near my place, I’ve got down here and this guy goes, ‘ah, you’re meant to be in talks with Spurs tonight?’ And I say, ‘I’m sat next to you having a pint of Guinness, so it’s unlikely – unless you work for Spurs!’

“I’m there in The Seven Stars pub having a pint of Guinness, so I said, ‘it’s highly unlikely’, no, I’m not (in talks), I’m with you and I’m on talkSPORT, that’s what we’re doing.”

During a guest hosting appearance alongside Dyche’s friend Jonny Owen, the 54-year-old did discuss the pitfalls of being asked about potential jobs but was complimentary about Spurs.

“To give you an inside view, when you’re the manager, you know you’re going to get asked these at some point and whatever part of your career if you’re doing all right,” Dyche said.

“You get asked and you try to be respectful because let’s use Tottenham as an example. A brilliant club, massive club and all the rest of it and one of my first ever memories is Ricky Villa’s goal and so you say yeah, flattered.

“And (social media) say, ‘he hasn’t said no,’ and then you go, ‘no,’ and they say, ‘he wants it really’, so you say, ‘yes,’ and they say, ‘I knew he wanted it,’ so what can you say?”

Roberto De Zerbi is another manager who has been strongly linked with Spurs, but three fan groups have urged the club to rethink any potential appointment of the Italian due to his past backing of Marseille forward Mason Greenwood.

De Zerbi has been linked to Tottenham after he left his role with Marseille in February.

It's said De Zerbi is unlikely to accept a mid-season role and will instead wait until the summer to assess his options, but fan groups Proud Lilywhites, Women of the Lane and Spurs Reach all expressed their concerns about the former Brighton boss after he worked with Greenwood at Marseille.

Ex-Manchester United forward Greenwood was charged in October 2022 with one count of attempted rape, one count of controlling and coercive behaviour and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm over allegations relating to a young women after images and videos were posted online.

The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges in February 2023 owing to a “combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses” and due to “no realistic prospect of conviction”. Greenwood has since resumed his career and joined Marseille in 2024.

In November, De Zerbi described Greenwood as a “good guy” that had paid a “heavy price” and added: “It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described.”

Spurs’ LGBTQI+ fan group Proud Lilywhites said: “We’ve seen the reports linking Roberto De Zerbi with the Tottenham job and honestly, it doesn’t sit right.

“As Proud Lilywhites, we care deeply about this club, not just what happens on the pitch, but what Tottenham stands for off it. This isn’t just about results or style of football. It’s about values, identity, and the kind of people we choose to represent us.

“We all want Spurs to move forward, but how we do that matters. When someone in that position publicly defends a player like Mason Greenwood, and frames it in a way that downplays the seriousness of what happened, it matters, not just in isolation but in what it signals.

“We are proud of the progress that’s been made in making football more inclusive and welcoming.

“That progress matters, and it cannot be compromised or treated as secondary.

“We are not asking for perfection. We are asking for accountability, transparency and leadership that reflects the values this club claims to stand for. All together, always. That has to mean something. No to De Zerbi.”

Women of the Lane added: “We want to be clear about how this (speculation) is landing with many women and allies in our community.

“De Zerbi has publicly defended Mason Greenwood in a way that downplays the seriousness of male violence against women and girls. That raises serious questions about judgement and leadership.

“This is not an appointment Tottenham Hotspur should make.”

A Spurs Reach statement read: “Comments previously attributed to Roberto De Zerbi, including public remarks defending and contextualising Mason Greenwood following serious allegations have been widely criticised for appearing to minimise the gravity of violence against women.

“Regardless of intent, framing of this nature risks normalising harmful attitudes, diminishing the experiences of survivors and sending a deeply concerning message about what is tolerated within the game.

“We all want the club to progress but it must do so in a way that reflects its values. No to De Zerbi.”

Joao Pedro struck in the 34th minute to help Chelsea inflict more pain on toothless Spurs with a fifth consecutive victory over their London rivals and a 10th win in 12 meetings in all competitions.

Frank’s team were booed off after they produced only one shot on target all game, three in total and recorded their lowest ever xG (expected goals) figure of 0.05 since Opta records started in the 2012-13 campaign.

To compound another miserable match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with this a third home loss in seven matches under the former Brentford head coach, an eye-catching exchange occurred moments after full-time.

Spence and stand-in captain Van de Ven and headed towards the tunnel and despite Frank seemingly telling them to thank the home support, they walked past the Danish boss who stared in their direction before he turned to applaud the crowd.

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Spence headed immediately for the tunnel at full-time at Newcastle on Wednesday night after Spurs were knocked out of the Carabao Cup, only for coach to stop him and tell him to go and applaud the away fans.

After Saturday night's incident, Frank said: “I think that is one of the small issues. We have Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence who are doing everything they can. They perform very well so far this season and everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way, so I don’t think it is a big problem.

“All the players are of course frustrated. They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform well, so I understand that.

“I think it is about, which is difficult, to be consistent in good times and in bad times. That is why I went around to the fans as I did. It is more fun when we win, I can tell you that.”

Spence has established himself in Tottenham's side this year, and Boro stand to benefit financially from the defender's breakthrough for club and country.

Spence left Boro for Tottenham in the summer of 2022 in a deal worth £20m, which included a number of add-ons.

And, as revealed by the Northern Echo last week, it's understood one of those payments will be triggered when Spence makes two competitive England starts.

The first came in this month's World Cup qualifying win over Latvia, and considering Spence looks to have impressed Thomas Tuchel, another imminent competitive start for England looks inevitable for the defender.

Spence received his first England call-up in September and made his debut from the bench in the World Cup qualifying win in Serbia.

He then got a second call-up last month and started both games in the most recent get-together. Spence was in the starting XI for the friendly win over Wales at Wembley and then kept his place and made his first competitive start as England thumped Latvia 5-0.

Boro will now no doubt have an eye on the situation when England are next in action this month with World Cup qualifying ties against Serbia and Albania. A start for Spence in either of those games would result in a financial boost for Boro.

And Boro look well placed to further benefit after Spence's big breakthrough for club and country over the course of the last year or so.

With Spence now playing regularly and Spurs having enjoyed an impressive start to the Premier League season, more add-ons look set to be triggered in the near and distant future.

Newcastle play their opening game of the new year at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday lunchtime knowing a win could take them into the top four ahead of the afternoon fixture list.

Three days later, the Magpies are back in north London for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal, and having not been fazed by the challenge of heading to Old Trafford, Howe wants his players to be equally bullish about the prospect of facing two of the toughest away trips on the calendar.

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“I always say we respect the opposition, but we don't fear anybody,” said the Newcastle boss. “But then actually stepping forward and delivering the performances under pressure in the environment isn't always easy.

“So, I do think it's a big step forward (winning at Old Trafford). But we need to do it again in two other grounds, very similar, at Tottenham and Arsenal in our next two games.”

Monday’s game marked the halfway point of the Premier League programme, and after failing to really click in the opening couple of months of the campaign, Newcastle have hit top gear in the last few weeks.

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Five successive victories in all competitions has transformed the mood at St James’ Park, with the Magpies’ key players all raising their performance levels markedly in recent matches.

“I’ve really enjoyed this season, although it's been a difficult challenge at times,” said Howe. “We look good at the moment, but we have to continue our focus and not get carried away.

“I think you learn all the time. I always say that I’m forever learning week in, week out. The Premier League demands that of you. You can never stand still. The game changes from week to week.

“Things you think you've got mastery of one minute, you don't have the next and that's down to the league and the analysis involved. So, for me, it's always about hard work and processes.”