AND so, the Newcastle United bandwagon rolls on. Unbeaten since August, with three wins from their last four matches, Eddie Howe’s side now find themselves just two points away from the top four. There is an understandable desire to keep expectations at a manageable level within St James’ Park, but much more of this, and ambitions for the rest of the season will have to be reassessed. Champions League? You’re not necessarily having a laugh.

The Magpies are certainly playing like a side capable of mixing it with anyone and everyone in the Premier League, with last night’s latest victory over Everton showcasing both sides of their game.

In the first half, Newcastle enjoyed a 20-minute purple patch either side of Miguel Almiron’s superbly-taken opener that might well have seen them put the game out of sight, with Bruno Guimaraes once again pulling the strings as orchestrator-in-chief and the Magpies’ midfielders pouring forward to support Callum Wilson and cause problems in Everton’s 18-yard box.

After the break, the visitors rallied to ask questions of the Newcastle defence, but with Fabian Schar and Sven Botman once outstanding, the hosts withstood everything their opponents could throw at them with a minimum of fuss.

Blending silk with steel, this is a Newcastle side without too many obvious weaknesses, and while Sunday’s trip to Tottenham will provide a stiff examination of their European credentials, it would be a brave person that was willing to bet against them at the moment. They are on a roll, with their momentum having carried over from their fine form under Howe in the second half of last season.

With last night game’s sandwiched between tricky-looking trips to Manchester United and Spurs, it felt like an important opportunity to build on that momentum, not to mention the wins over Fulham and Brentford that started the month.

Newcastle’s players certainly began last night’s encounter with a spring in their step, with the high-pressing style that has been introduced under Howe forcing Everton’s defenders and midfielders into a string of early errors that ensured the hosts were able to start on the front foot. Having been so passive under Steve Bruce, it is noticeable that the Magpies are attempting to force the pace from the off under Howe.

It took a while for their early dominance to be rewarded, with the Everton backline initially digging in well as they looked to repel Newcastle’s attacks. Guimaraes and Jacob Murphy both curled efforts over the crossbar inside the opening ten minutes, but while Guimaraes thought he had released Almiron into the box midway through the first half, an alert Jordan Pickford raced from his line to hack clear.

Pickford was subjected to the usual chorus of boos that greets him when he returns to his native North-East to visit St James’ Park, and the Everton goalkeeper, who is set to get the nod ahead of Nick Pope to start for England at next month’s World Cup, was grateful to his skipper, Seamus Coleman, for an acrobatic clearance that prevented Callum Wilson’s cross from reaching Jacob Murphy shortly before the half-hour mark.

Newcastle hadn’t recorded an effort on target at that stage, but when that changed moments later, the hosts were celebrating claiming the lead.

Kieran Trippier’s cross from the right-hand side was laid off to Guimaraes, he shuffled the ball sideways to Almiron, and from the corner of the 18-yard box, the Paraguayan produced a sensational curled finish that arced beyond Pickford and found the far corner of the net.

It was a wonderful strike, maintaining the fine run of form that Almiron has been on for the last month or so, and made it four goals in four matches for the South American, whose five for the season make him Newcastle’s leading scorer.

Buoyed by their breakthrough, the Magpies fashioned two more good chances to extend their lead before half-time. Bruno dribbled his way into the area and turned neatly before dragging a low shot wide of the post, while Schar met Trippier’s cross with a back-post header, only for Pickford to make a smart save.

Newcastle were forced into a change at the interval, with Joelinton unable to continue after hobbling off with a knock at the end of the first half, but with Joe Willock coming on to replace him, the hosts’ impetus was not affected.

Indeed, they almost added a second goal nine minutes after the break, with Almiron coming within inches of producing a carbon copy of his first-half strike. Wilson picked up possession and laid the ball into his path, and after drifting across the face of the 18-yard box, Almiron curled another excellent effort just over the top.

In fairness, Everton upped their game in the second half, committing more men forward and displaying far more urgency as they attempted to harass and harry Newcastle’s midfielders.

Schar had to be at his most alert to cut out Amadou Onana’s through ball for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who was making his first start of the season after recovering from injury, and Newcastle’s defenders were grateful that while Demarai Gray made a couple of threatening breaks down the left, there was no one in the middle to meet his crosses which were flashed across the six-yard box.

For all that Newcastle’s attacking players have rightly received plenty of plaudits in the last few weeks, the defensive transformation under Howe has been remarkable and while Everton’s players might have enjoyed more possession in the second half, it was to the Magpies’ credit that Nick Pope still had precious little to do.