Newcastle notes: Incredible prospect vs Aston Villa, enforced change & truth about Diego Costa link

For all the high praise that Steven Gerrard has enjoyed since being appointed as boss of Aston Villa, Newcastle - incredibly - could be just five points behind the second city club if they beat them on Sunday.

Of course, that's still a big "if" but if United go about their business in the same manner they did against Everton there is no reason not to believe it can be three wins on the spin.

Eddie Howe pointed to the importance of two wins back to back in the build-up to the clash with the Toffees but he will probably struggle to put it into words what THREE wins on the spin could do for Newcastle's survival hopes.

After a night in which Watford picked up nothing at West Ham and Burnley could only take a point at home to Manchester United, Newcastle climbed out of the bottom three for the first time since September and it felt great.

There was even a question from one reporter about the prospect of the top 10 should Newcastle beat Gerrard and co on Sunday, but Howe simply quipped: "It's funny how quickly the questions switch."

Indeed, given the fickle nature of the Premier League, Howe knows how quickly things can go the other way and how one round of results can change the landscape again.

Victory for Norwich over Crystal Palace would sadly see Newcastle slip back into the bottom three but psychologically last night was massive.

You won't get a more solid debut than the former England Under-21's display against Everton.

Targett showed his Premier League quality and impressed in front of watching England boss Gareth Southgate but unfortunately due to the terms of his loan, he won't be able to face his parent club Villa.

In the build-up to Sunday's game, Gerrard said he didn't want Targett to leave: "This was his