United 3 Wolves 0 ... dwell on that scoreline

GOALS are football’s lifeblood. The coinage of the game. The reason for crowds and wows.

Therefore, let us celebrate the minor milestones for Newcastle’s three scorers who downed Wolves and a rare denial by a defence which had lost the art of clean sheets.

There were stepping stones all along the hour and a half as United at last put three home points on the board.

First Alexander Isak topped his 10-goal Premier League record of last season by notching United’s opener and his 11th so far. He is now chasing down his finest ever campaign when he scored 17 for Real Sociedad and must surely beat it having reached 15 already across all competitions despite his limited time on the pitch.

Next, Anthony Gordon put daylight between himself and Callum Wilson as the Magpies second-top scorer this season with his ninth in the league.

Astounding, given that he only managed seven goals in his whole Everton career, with four his best ever campaign total in 2021-22.

Finally, super sub Tino Livramento ran from the halfway line to twist and turn two Wolves defenders and poke the ball past another sub, keeper Dan Bentley, for only the second PL goal of his young career. The other came when he was a Saint at Southampton.

Goals scored, it was all about keeping them out at the other end. United had gone nine PL matches without a shut-out, leaking an awful 24 goals in the process, but here the old back four of Trippier, Schar, Botman and Burn, supplemented second-half by Livramento, did the impossible. They became Scrooges again.

Mind you, a couple of top-class saves by Martin Dubravka helped them out and should not go unrecognised.

This was a streetwise display much more in keeping with last season’s dark arts and showing a recognition that compact can be a winning trait instead of gung-ho openness.

My, we all are totally grateful for those who scored and those who denied because life has been grim up north.

Let us dwell on that scoreline once again: Newcastle United 3 Wolves 0.

Sounds nice, does it not? It was a mucky, murky day of splashing rain throughout but the sun shone brightly, piercing the dark clouds for all united in the fight to return to respectability.

A victory parade was long overdue and must be followed up by more of the same rather than Wolves merely becoming a passing beacon. It is tough with Chelsea away next up, then Manchester City in the FA Cup but that is what life is all about at the sharp end.

Maybe this result was like a drop of cool water on a parched tongue but it counts for little if it is not followed by more sustained positivity.

There were many diamonds to be found among the previous pebbles on United’s beach.

Fabian Schar was back to his George Clooney suave and immaculate best, sweeping majestic passes on all three goals but none more important than that from deep in his own penalty area on the crucial first goal because it changed the complexion of the entire game.

Joe Willock denied the rust and logic of his long injury lay-off to show us exactly what we have missed in a previously stale midfield and Bruno, thus inspired, fed off his energy to spark and probe.

This was Eddie Howe’s 100th Premier League win of his managerial career (56 Bournemouth and 44 Newcastle) but I bet few have brought so much relief and appreciation as this.

He needed it, we needed it, and everyone of black-and-white got it.

United had gone nine PL matches without a shut-out, leaking 24 goals, but the old back four became Scrooges again

Alexander Isak heads United into the lead against Wolves