Newcastle United have returned to winning ways in style this afternoon, cruising to a 4-1 victory over 10-man Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The Magpies took full advantage of having an extra man for almost the entire game, with Fulham on the back foot early on as a result of Nathaniel Chalobah's VAR-awarded straight red card after just eight minutes.
Fulham were further punished moments later when Callum Wilson opened the scoring in the 11th minute, and the result was beyond doubt by half time as Miguel Almiron and Sean Longstaff also got on the scoresheet - the former in stunning fashion.
Almiron added his second shortly before the hour mark to round off a miserable afternoon for Marco Silva, who also lost star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic to injury in the first half - one of three changes made by the hosts before half time.
There was a late response from Fulham as Bobby Reid got his side on the board in the closing stages, but it was scant consolation on an afternoon when they were comfortably second-best.
Newcastle went into the contest trailing their opponents by three points and having failed to win any of their last six league games before the international break, but they quickly dispelled any worries over their form.
Eddie Howe's men were given a significant helping hand by Chalobah's early red-card challenge on Sean Longstaff, but they still had to make the most of it and wasted little time in doing so through Wilson's strike just three minutes later - his fourth goal in as many Premier League games against Fulham.
It is Almiron who will steal the headlines from this match, though, not only for his brace but for the manner in which the first came about.
The midfielder produced a goal-of-the-season contender to double Newcastle's advantage, firing a Marco van Basten-esque looping volley over the keeper from a tight angle.
Miguel Almiron pulled this volley out of NOWHERE 😳
— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 1, 2022
(via @NBCSportsSoccer)pic.twitter.com/Ib1mFNzWo9
Longstaff followed up a header which had been tipped onto the post to add a third before half time, essentially clinching all three points for the Magpies before the interval.
There was still more to come from the visitors, though, with Almiron making it two for the day and three for the season in the second half, this one far less spectacular than the first as he tapped home from close range.
Reid's late header pulled one back for Fulham, but the result had long since been wrapped up as Newcastle made it three away league wins over the Cottagers for the first time.
The result sees Newcastle leapfrog Fulham in the table on goal difference, with both sides only three points off the Champions League places after eight games of the campaign.
Barney Corkhill
