Away from home, Howe’s players have lost at Fulham and Brentford. At St James’ Park, they have succumbed to Brighton, West Ham, Bournemouth and Fulham. This tells a story; rousing themselves for mid-tier opponents has, on occasion, been problematic.

Newcastle United scored early and often to strengthen their UEFA Champions League hopes with a 3-0 win over relegation-destined Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Monday.

Newcastle blew Leicester away with three first-half goals to inflict a miserable 3-0 defeat on the Foxes who moved a step closer to suffering relegation from the Premier League. The Magpies flexed their muscles in front of Sky Bet Championship-bound Leicester in a ruthless start to boost their hopes of returning to the Champions League by moving level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea.