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Lee Ryder

Newcastle notes: Magpies take giant step, 2011 revisited and Christian Eriksen moment

Newcastle United are just a potential four wins away from Premier League safety after Saturday's 2-0 win at Brentford.

The scenes at the end of the game were balanced as the Magpies showed their appreciation but did not milk it as they thanked the 1,700 supporters who made it to the capital.

United can take another giant step towards safety if they beat Brighton & Hove Albion next Saturday but for now they can enjoy sitting in 14th place - their highest position of the season.

Party like it's erm...2011?

Newcastle have not been on an unbeaten run as long as this since 2011 when Alan Pardew's side finished the season 2010/11 campaign three games unbeaten then bounced into new term with an unbeaten run.

One of the coaching staff Andy Woodman sat alongside me in the Press box on Saturday as he conducted his radio duties for the BBC on a rare day off for the Bromley manager.

Woodman quipped after the game: "It's easy this business...well it is when you win as well as that."

The former goalkeeping guru, who worked alongside Pardew and former head coach John Carver, knows a good side when he sees one.

And there was no doubt that this side, while not yet as superior in terms of an unbeaten run, with 14 the record of Pardew's side, there were traits of the side from over a decade ago.

Red card helps Magpies but they already had a foothold in the game

There's no doubt that Josh Dasilva's VAR red card helped Newcastle on their way.

But even by that time, they had already started asking serious questions of the Bees' defence and that left-hand combination of Ryan Fraser and Matt Targett - who was wiped out by Dasilva - had started to get into a confidence drained home side.

Newcastle looked up for it from the word go and even though the 10 men battled hard, the visitors weren't in the mood to offer any encouragement to Thomas Frank's men.

Remember it can sometimes be even harder to play when a side have nine players behind the ball but Newcastle still dominated.

After goals from Joelinton and Joe Willock it could have been many more with 26 goal attempts.

The final word has to go to Christian Eriksen

For all Ryan Fraser and Joelinton excelled, football sometimes stretches beyond individual performances.

The standout moment of this match will always belong to Christian Eriksen.

Just 260 days earlier the world watched on as the former Tottenham star suffered a heart attack against Finland at Euro 2020.

Thankfully he recovered and Newcastle players - led by Emil Krafth - warmly applauded the Danish ace back into the game.

His remarkable comeback was uplifting in a week in which horrific scenes in Ukraine have left the world devastated.

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