The gulf between Premier League contenders and strugglers was laid bare at St James Park on 4 May as Newcastle cruised past Ipswich Town. Alexander Isak struck after six minutes, ghosting onto a through ball from Bruno Guimarães and slotting under Vaclav Hladky. Ipswich briefly rallied, but Nick Pope tipped a Conor Chaplin header over before Fabian Schär doubled the lead on 28 minutes, powering home a near post header from Kieran Trippier’s corner. With the cushion secured, Eddie Howe encouraged dominance of possession. Newcastle ended the contest with 68 percent of the ball and pass accuracy above 90 percent, their most controlled display against a bottom-half side all term. The killer blow arrived midway through the second half when Isak’s flick released Anthony Gordon, who squared for Joelinton to smash in from close range. Defeat consigned Ipswich to the Championship after a valiant yet fruitless surge. Manager Kieran McKenna admitted his team lacked depth to compete with elite athleticism and praised Newcastle’s relentlessness. For the Magpies the win kept pressure on Manchester United and Chelsea for Champions League spots and improved goal difference that would prove decisive weeks later. Supporters applauded Ipswich with respect at full time, yet pride at another professional display dominated. Newcastle’s ability to dismantle lesser opponents without drama has become a hallmark of their evolution under Howe. With 18 different players registering at least one league goal, squad depth has propelled Newcastle from contenders to consistent front-runners, a detail Howe attributes to periodised conditioning and diet plans overseen by the club’s new performance chef.
