Five greatest Premier League moments: Newcastle United
Newcastle United have not won a domestic trophy since 1955, but they are still one of the biggest clubs in the country.
The Magpies have tortured their fans at times but also thrilled them, and here we pick out their five greatest Premier League moments.
Super Shearer smashes record
Newcastle is synonymous with great No.9s, and Alan Shearer is probably the best of the lot.
In the mid-1990s, the England international was the hottest striker in the game after helping Blackburn Rovers to a remarkable Premier League title.
He opted to return to the North East in 1996 for a record-breaking £15m in 1996.
Shearer was at the forefront of an exciting chapter in the club’s history as they took the fight to Manchester United and Arsenal for the game’s big prizes.
The Newcastle native’s 206 goals cemented his status as a club legend but it was a home game against Portsmouth in 2006 – three months before his retirement – which fans will remember best.
Noticeably slower, Shearer’s powers began to fade, but he gave the fans another moment of magic by sliding a low shot into the bottom corner to overtake Jackie Milburn and become the club’s all-time top-scorer.
Magpies turn on the style to thrash United
It may be more than 20 years since Newcastle produced perhaps their best ever Premier League performance but there is a reason why the TV channels still opt to remind us every few weeks.
Kevin Keegan’s men were adored by the whole country in the 1990s for their slick, stylish football and Manchester United’s vice-like grip on the division was severely tested.
And no other match epitomised Newcastle’s energy, skill and attacking intent quite like the day they put United to the sword.
Darren Peacock got the ball rolling with a header before David Ginola’s spectacular second doubled their advantage before half-time.
Shearer and Les Ferdinand added two more before centre-back Philippe Albert produced an audacious chip over Peter Schmeichel’s head to finish it off.
Jonas returns
There was not a dry eye in the house when Jonas Gutierrez came off the bench against Manchester United in March 2015.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
The Argentine was making his return to the first team after beating testicular cancer and received a huge cheer from the home supporters.
He went on to score the goal which kept them in the Premier League on the last day that season.
Comeback kings
When Arsenal went 4-0 up at St James’ Park in 2011, few could have imagined anything but a Gunners victory.
The Londoners were rampant early on and tore the Magpies to shreds, with many home supports fearing it could turn into a record defeat.
But when Joey Barton put a penalty away in the second half, the mood turned – and Leon Best gave them hope with a superb strike minutes later.
Barton scored another penalty to put even more cats among the pigeons, before the late Cheick Tiote smashed home a volley in added time to rescue a point.
Rivals pummelled
Nothing quite matches beating your local rivals, but beating them 5-1 in a titanic Premier League encounter is something to remember for the rest of your life.
That is exactly what Newcastle did to Sunderland in 2010, as Kevin Nolan grabbed a hat-trick and Shola Ameobi a brace in front of a raucous home crowd.
Sunderland have enjoyed a strong record against Newcastle since that day, but Magpies fans won’t care – they can just look back to that glorious afternoon when they destroyed their bitter foes and re-live each glorious second.
