It ended Newcastle 3 PSV 0.
Before each match, we ask one of our writers to come up with three positives and three negatives after the match.
An interesting game at St James’ Park…
Enough to talk about.
On this occasion it is The Armchair Fan.
POSITIVE
Result
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: football is a matter of results and a 3-0 win against any team, at any level, is nothing to sniff at.
To win so emphatically in a crucial Champions League match would have been beyond our wildest dreams just a few years ago. A fantastic result that was absolutely deserved.
League table
Newcastle United have somehow (at least a play-off round) qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time in our history!
The big win means we will either automatically advance as a top eight team or enter the play-offs as a team finishing between ninth and twenty-fourth.
An incredible achievement and further progress for Eddie Howe, who took on this task when we were all but certain of relegation to the Championship.
Captain Miley
What a moment for young Lewis when Kieran Trippier presented him with the armband in the eighty-seventh minute.
A top-level local boy and now captain of Newcastle United in the Champions League.
Miley is growing into a superstar and, with age on his side, could be a legend for club and country for many years to come.
NEGATIVES
Bruno injury
With so many injuries piling up, the sight of Bruno limping at the end of the first half was the very last thing we wanted to see.
Fortunately, he returned to the bench to watch the end of the second half, implying that the injury will not be as bad as initially feared. Fingers crossed for good news from our captain.
League table!
The rankings are so ridiculously tight that NUFC could finish anywhere between third and eighteenth in the league.
With a tough match against PSG coming up, we could be in for a stressful evening to see if we can automatically qualify for the next round.
The Toon will be desperate to avoid two extra play-off games in an already hectic schedule and will almost certainly need a win in France to achieve this.
Dropping points
In light of the above, we could have been home and dry in the top eight if we had not dropped stupid points in the Champions League so far.
NUFC led 1-0 against Marseille at half-time and 2-1 against Bayer Leverkusen at the very end and should have seen a much better result than just that one point.
Giving away a lead has seriously hampered our Champions League form this season and unfortunately could mean that we still have two grueling games to look forward to in the play-off round.
Newcastle 3 PSV 0 – Wednesday January 21, 2026 8:00 PM
Match statistics
Goals:
Newcastle United:
Warn 8, Gordon 30, Barnes 65
PSV:
Possess was Newcastle 54% PSV 46%
Total shots were Newcastle 11 PSV 6
Shots on target were Newcastle 4 PSV 1
Corners were Newcastle 3 PSV 1
Touches in the opposition box Newcastle29PSV11
Newcastle team vs PSV:
Pope, Tripper (Willock 87), Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Tonali, Joelinton (Ramsey 72), Bruno (Miley 48), Barnes, Gordon (Elanga 72), Wissa (Woltemade 72)
Unused subs:
Thompson, Ramsdale, Alex Murphy, Neave, Shahar
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