Harvey Barnes matched a rare Newcastle United stat during Sunday's 4-1 win over Manchester United.
The English forward was at the heart of everything Newcastle did well on an afternoon where Eddie Howe's side strengthened their top-five aspirations. Any fears that Newcastle's season would peter out after their historic Carabao Cup win have been shelved.
Howe's men now sit fourth in the top-flight table with a game-in-hand over their rivals as they look to secure a lucrative place in next season's Champions League. In truth, the Magpies now look the most likely team out of those around them to secure a place in Europe's elite competition.
And Barnes' brace at St James' Park has seen him match a record set by legendary former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer. According to OptaJoe, Barnes is just the second Magpies player to score a brace against Man United in the Premier League, along with Shearer in December 2000.
Barnes' performance has helped Newcastle to their first league double over the Red Devils in 94 years. Speaking to Premier League Productions, the winger and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes spoke about their team's motivation to perform in the absence of manager Eddie Howe. The former Bournemouth boss is understood to be on the mend after being admitted to hospital on Friday night
“When we went to the pitch we said we will play for him (Howe). He has been part of our success, he’s been unbelievable for us,” Guimaraes said.
“We missed him on the training ground this week. Hopefully it gave him happiness and he’s back for the next game. It’s been a tough week for him.”
“He’s on the road to recovery hopefully,” Barnes added. “He’s so influential throughout the week and on matchday. We knew we had a job to do without him, we said before the game we had to put a smile on his face.”
Howe's assistant manager, Jason Tindall, offered an update on his boss after the game. "I had a message from him just before I came to do the press, congratulating the team on the performance and work from everybody," Tindall said.
"He was able to watch the game and I'm sure that performance will have put a smile on his face." "He was hugely missed, certainly for me. It's only the second time in 17 years that we've not been side by side and I did miss him.
"You miss your leader when he's not there, but testament and credit to everybody else to be able to step into those shoes - big shoes to fill.
"He's one of the best around and credit to everybody to be able to go out and deliver the performance that they did. I'm sure he'll be proud of that."
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