Burnley 1-4 Newcastle United: Delirious Toon fans sing in rain as Europe edges closer
Eddie Howe celebrated his 100th Premier League game in charge of Newcastle United with a superb victory at Burnley as the Magpies took another step towards Europe.
The demolition job at Turf Moor saw Newcastle climb up to sixth place until Monday night at least, when Man United face Crystal Palace, and cut the gap between themselves and Spurs in fifth to just four points. With three games to go against Brighton, Man United and Brentford, Howe's team have one hand on a place in the Europa Conference League at the very least.
As things stand nobody looks like they can stop them and that mid-season blip in December now seems a long way behind them as players return from injury and confidence begins to flow around the team again. Newcastle have now also scored the most goals in a 38-game Premier League season with 78 with three games left.
READ MORE: Burnley vs Newcastle as it happened from Turf Moor
Burnley won a corner in the first minute as they tried to set the tone but Jacob Murphy swept clear after a nervous start from the Magpies. Moments later keeper Arijanet Muric's long ball found Jacob Laursen who fired at goal but Martin Dubravka came out to make a fine block.
There were Burnley penalty appeals after Lorenz Assignon went down after a brush with Bruno Guimaraes on eight minutes but referee Anthony Taylor waved away protests. Burnley star Vitinho was next to have a go as he curled one at Dubravka but the keeper gathered well on 15 minutes.
Wilson tried to find some space on the left-hand side of the box on 18 minutes but was subsequently booked for diving in a strange call from Taylor. But moments later, Wilson found the perfect way to reply by tapping Newcastle into the lead.
Good work from Tino Livramento and Anthony Gordon started the move before Sean Longstaff's pass to Murphy. The former Norwich winger clipped in a right wing cross before Alexander Isak forced Muric into a block and number 9 Wilson followed up to apply the finish for this 10th goal of an injury-ravaged season.
Wilson then did well to slip in Livramento on 25 minutes but Muric turned the ball away from danger. Isak slipped in Gordon on the 30-minute mark but the Scouse star's effort was deflected wide.
Gordon was heavily involved five minutes before the break after the ex-Everton man latched on to Dan Burn's poke forward. He then trickled a fine pass into the path of Bruno who swept home to make it 3-0 as he grabbed his second in as many games.
Newcastle had other opportunities as both Murphy and Isak fired wide of the target but went in with a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break. The Lancashire rain crept over Turf Moor as the second half started as Newcastle looked to lock down three valuable points.
Another Gordon run down the left saw Wilson take it off Isak's toes before the number 9's attempt was cleared by the relegation-threatened home side. Gordon was taken down after a teasing run on 51 minutes after Josh Brownhill upended him the box.
But despite stepping up confidently, Isak's effort was an easy height for Maric and he guessed the right way before clutching the ball. A VAR check for encroachment followed but there would be no retake.
However, you can't get a good man down and Isak did not take long to be smiling again on 54 minutes. Murphy's run and cross down the right fell for Isak and after taking a touch he fired into the net from close range to make it 4-0.
Mid-way through the second half Murphy played in Bruno but his curling effort was pushed wide by the keeper. Howe began to make changes as Harvey Barnes and Elliot Anderson were handing minutes before Joelinton and Miguel Almiron made their long awaited returns 10 minutes later.
Matt Ritchie was handed five minutes at the end of the second half and immediately conceded a corner with a bad back-pass. From it Burnley's corner was swung in and Dara O'Shea's looping header flew over the top of Dubravka and even 6ft 7in Burn on the line to deny Newcastle of their clean sheet.
Ritchie came close to atoning for his error but Muric made another fine save to deny him. United pressed right until the end and won a corner in stoppage time but they opted to play keep ball much to the delight of the 2,300 fans and that's where the confidence levels are right now for the black and whites.
They chanted passionately about being in "Europe again" long after the final whistle. They're nearly there too.