Newcastle 4-1 Brighton: Eddie Howe’s side take big step towards Champions League qualification 

So much for that nonsensical routine of refusing to celebrate against your former club.

Dan Burn had to be restrained towards the end and when he failed to do so his Newcastle teammates left him to fend for himself, roaring like a lion in the stands where he sat as a boy.

Either Burn forgot he ever played for Brighton or he just didn’t care. As this was a goal that helped take his boyhood club within one Champions League win – a game he watched from those terraces the last time they played in it – you can assume it was the last.

Good for him too. Burn probably thought Europe would be the closest of the four years he spent on the south coast with the Seagulls.

Now he and Newcastle need to beat either Leicester, back here on Monday, or Chelsea away on the final day to guarantee a place in the top four.

Bruno Guimaraes was also on the Magpies’ score sheet in the final phase

Dan Burn was delighted after a goal for Newcastle in the dying minutes of the first half

And how they deserved their victory, blowing away Brighton in the dying minutes as Callum Wilson and Bruno Guimaraes added the goals to put a foot firmly on European soil.

Newcastle have never lost a night game at St James’ Park under Eddie Howe. There’s something about the spotlight that makes the team burn just that little bit brighter. However, their season began to fizzle, a point from their last two games left Liverpool – and Brighton – tying to fifth a bit uneasy.

A few weeks ago, Brighton was a math headache for Newcastle. They could theoretically catch them, even that was highly unlikely. But when they got into this game, they started to feel more of a pain in the back.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe cheers on the fans after what could be an important win

Brighton striker Deniz Undav scored from both ends as his side suffered a 4–1 defeat

Roberto De Zerbi turned his Brighton side and the changes did not have the desired effect

A good season in recent years for these clubs would be to go into the last few games already on the beach. They were here on the beach – Normandy that is. Because this was a real battle to control the European places.

In the end, it was the home fans singing about Italy, even as they cleared their throats to enjoy those late goals after a nerve-wracking spell where Brighton pushed for an equaliser.

But most of the game belonged to the brilliant hosts. Brighton’s dedication to playing off their goalkeeper should be applauded – at least by thrill seekers. It’s great entertainment, like they’re operating on the belief that five passes into the penalty area equals a goal. It doesn’t, it just increases the chances of the opponent scoring one.

Newcastle’s trigger to pressure Brighton was simple – whenever they had the ball. Not once did the visitors beat that suffocating wave of black and white jerseys. At the moment of the opening goal on 22 minutes, they were undoubtedly grateful for the breather before the restart.

The corner from which Kieran delivered Trippier and Deniz Undav headed into his own net at the near post was the result of a failed attempt to pass out from the back. Not that Brighton mentioned time for self-harm.

Undav’s night went from bad to worse when he was booked for a fumble on Joe Willock and all he could do was watch Burn head in from a Trippier free kick in first half stoppage time.

The German striker recovered some personal pride when he drove clear six minutes after the break to finish under Nick Pope through a pass from Billy Gilmour.

It was Brighton’s first notable attack and, encouraged by that success, Roberto De Zerbi brought in the three players who should probably have started: Alexis Mac Allister, Evan Ferguson and Julio Enciso. They immediately looked much more dangerous and as the game got messier, an equalizer in Brighton looked more and more likely. If only they had shown this attack intent from the start.

Howe was visibly agitated, with his players and the officials, more than ever before. But the manager’s composure returned as madness raged around him as Wilson finished off Miguel Almiron’s through ball and turned the goalscorer to Guimaraes and buried it from close range in stoppage time.

But the home fans only wanted to serenade one man full-time. Burn, the boy from Blyth, seems ready for Barcelona.