Newcastle United have lift-off in the Champions League, while Eddie Howe now knows his best front three.
The Toon boss opted to play Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltemade and Anthony Elanga together for the first time on Wednesday night, and they did not disappoint.
They ran Union Saint-Gilloise ragged, as Newcastle United won 4-0 in Brussels.
USG could not handle the speed of Gordon and Elanga, while Woltemade held the ball up brilliantly.
They all contributed to an emphatic Toon win, as Eddie Howe picked up the first away win in Europe of his managerial career.
He will have been delighted to see his forward line thrive, but what will have pleased him more was the impact of his substitutes.
Harvey Barnes makes Newcastle United statement with Champions League goal
Harvey Barnes has endured a really difficult start to the season. The £39million winger was handed an incredible opportunity when Gordon picked up a three-match suspension, but he squandered it.
The Toon winger has been struggling to have any kind of impact, despite usually being a consistent source of goals in black and white.
He watched on from the bench as Newcastle’s new-look front three tore USG apart, knowing he could suddenly be further away than ever from the Magpies’ starting lineup.
That may now have changed, with Barnes coming off the bench to score Newcastle’s fourth. It capped off his most dangerous performance of the season so far, and his display will have delighted Howe.
The Newcastle United manager craves depth, particularly in attack. Howe wants to rotate, but can only do that if his squad players are at a strong enough level.
There have been fears that Barnes is not at that level, but he rewrote the script on Wednesday night. It could be a season-defining goal for the 27-year-old, who had watched Gordon light up the Champions League in the position he wants to play.
While he might not start every week, Barnes can be an impact player who Howe trusts. His finishing ability is top class, and he proved to Howe in Belgium that he can still be a lethal weapon off the bench.
Will Osula experiment proves Newcastle United really do have depth
To make Barnes’ goal even more important, it was set up by Will Osula. He made his Champions League debut in the win over USG, and helped himself to an assist.
He did well too, with Osula showing speed, power and composure to create Barnes’ goal. Composure is something Osula has lacked since joining Newcastle United, but he has shown major signs of improvement this season.
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That is proven by the fact that Howe is playing him more than ever, further reinforcing Newcastle’s depth in attack.
Add in Jacob Murphy, who was an unused substitute against USG, and the injured Yoane Wissa and Newcastle United truly do have a forward line that should be feared. Not only do they have a dangerous front three, but they have the depth to back it up as well.
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