WHAT HAPPENED? The records went tumbling as the Magpies ran riot at Bramall Lane to send the home team packing with eight different goalscorers in a Premier League fixture, a new competition record. Sean Longstaff broke the deadlock in the 21st minute and then the floodgates opened. Dan Burn added a second with a header at the back post while Sven Botman scored the next to make it 3-0 within 35 minutes.
After the break, the scoring spree continued as Callum Wilson netted the fourth. Anthony Gordon curled one in from outside the penalty box to register his team’s fifth of the night. Miguel Almiron and Bruno Guimaraes added salt to the Blades’ wounds by scoring the sixth and seventh goals with Alexander Isak finishing off the onslaught with the eighth strike in the 87th minute.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Newcastle have scored seven or more goals in the English top-flight three times before. They beat Sheffield Wednesday with the same margin back in 1999 while defeating Swindon Town and Tottenham Hotspur with a scoreline of 7-1 in 1994 and 1996 respectively.
Meanwhile, it was the first time that Sheffield United shipped in eight goals in a league encounter since their 3-10 defeat to Middlesbrough in 1933.
Kieran Tripper also became the second player after Jason Puncheon (Crystal Palace vs West Ham in 2015) to assist three headed goals in a single Premier League game.
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WHAT NEXT? Newcastle will get back to action against Manchester City in an EFL Cup third-round fixture on Wednesday evening at the St. James Park; a similar result there would send the Magpies into dreamland.