Newcastle moved to within two points of the top half of the Premier League table with a 2-0 win over Arsenal at St. James' Park on Monday night.
The Magpies took the lead when Ben White converted the ball into his own net after a teasing delivery from Joelinton on the left. Callum Wilson was challenging the England international to get to the cross and forced him to turn it into his own net by accident.
Bruno Guimaraes then sealed the win with a composed finish into a virtually empty net after Wilson and Aaron Ramsdale collided in the box, providing him with a glorious chance to score.
Ryan Fraser should have made it 3-0 in stoppage time as Dwight Gayle teed him up in the box but he was denied by a fine save from Ramsdale.
The Brazilian midfielder was phenomenal in the middle of the park as he ran the show throughout with his ballast off the ball and his quality on it. However, he was not the only standout for the Magpies as left-back Matt Targett also put in a monstrous display at the back.
England international Bukayo Saka lined up against the full-back and was restricted to very little over the course of 90 minutes.
As per SofaScore, he only provided one key pass and failed to complete a single dribble as Targett restricted him to feeding off scraps.
The £59k-per-week Magpies dynamo was excellent on and off the ball. Defensively, he was superb as he won 100% of his ground and aerial battles in the game, whilst also making three clearances and one interception - as per SofaScore.
In possession, he was a reliable outlet for the team. He completed four crosses and provided one key pass, whilst also ending the match with a 100% dribble success rate. He was comfortable on the ball and caused problems down the left as he combined with both Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin to spring attacks.
These statistics show that Targett was a monster at left-back and Howe will surely be buzzing with the full-back's performance. He is currently on loan from Aston Villa until the end of the season and displays like this will surely leave supporters wondering whether or not he will be coming back to St. James' Park on a permanent basis next season...