Newcastle on the up as escape bid gathers momentum

LONDON : When the full-time whistle blew on Newcastle United's 3-1 victory over Everton, St James' Park erupted in celebration - the like of which had not been heard on Tyneside for a while.

As Beatles classic "Hey Jude" resounded around the stadium and new Toon hero Allan Saint-Maximin joined in the chorus, it felt like a dark cloud had finally been lifted.

All that had actually happened was that Newcastle, for the first time this season, moved out of the Premier League relegation zone.

For a team whose already lofty ambitions went into the stratosphere after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund bought an 80per cent stake in the club in October, such a modest milestone hardly seemed cause for such hysteria.

But after a season of woe in which Newcastle did not win a league game until January, it felt like a pivotal moment in their bid to avoid relegation.

Eddie Howe's side aim to maintain the upward momentum as they host Aston Villa on Sunday seeking a third successive league victory for the first time since November 2018.

They will do so brimming with confidence after the display against Everton in which Saint-Maximin was electrifying, Kieran Trippier scored a stunning free kick and new 40 million-pound Brazilian signing Bruno Guimaraes made his debut off the bench.

Howe, who replaced Steve Bruce after the takeover, is wily enough to know that one joyous night will not make or break Newcastle's survival mission and a let-down against a dangerous Villa side would put his team back in the mire.

"The challenges come thick and fast and now we move on to Aston Villa," Howe said after the win over Everton in which Newcastle recovered from going behind to an own goal.

"We've got a lot of work to do, but the most important thing from