Newcastle totally crushed Chelsea for about 45 minutes, which had to be the Christmas gift Eddie Howe wanted most.

Three of his main guys—Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and Nick Woltemade—suddenly looked like they had their mojo back after seeming tired when the team was struggling.

Things were getting worrying, but these three showed some real hunger.

Now, the question is, are they really back? Or will they just relax after that win, thinking they've done enough to make up for that embarrassing loss in the derby?

We'll see soon enough, as Newcastle wraps up a crazy 2025 with trips to Manchester United and Burnley. We'll be watching closely.

People were asking questions, like why did we even sign Woltemade? Yeah, he's a nice, eager young guy with lots going for him—great feet, a smart football mind, a good attitude, and he's tall.

But everyone agrees he's not super fast, doesn't have the strength to hold off defenders, and doesn't always push into the opponent's territory. Those are pretty important things for a striker.

Two of our legends, Alan Shearer and SuperMac, have pointed out these weaknesses. Some even wondered if he'd be better in another position.

So, a lot of people were surprised to see him tearing it up against Chelsea, just a week after that awful own goal against Sunderland.

This blond kid was always running into the box and really trying to press the Chelsea defense. And he got two goals after not scoring for a while.

Did Howe work his magic again, like he did with Joelinton, turning him from a bad striker into a great midfielder? Or like he did with Gordon, Jacob Murphy, Dan Burn, and Alexander Isak?

Or maybe Yoane Wissa scoring against Fulham made him realize that even though he's working hard, it's better than sitting on the bench all the time.

Either way, it doesn't matter. Howe or Wissa, a fairy godmother, or just luck—all the Newcastle fans who were singing his name just want Nick to keep playing well. And Wissa, get inspired too, and maybe we can save this wild season.

Eddie promised Woltemade, after spending a record £69m on him, that he'd build the team around him. That seemed like a bad idea, but maybe there's some hope now.

The fans really like Big Nick, and I get it. He's the kind of player you want to see succeed, and he's giving it his all.

But what about Gordon and Tonali? Gordon's been inconsistent, and Tonali's form had dropped off a cliff. Form is temporary, but class is permanent—so what was wrong? It was confusing, but he seems to be back. Anthony needs to play like that more often, though.

I know one good game isn't proof that things have changed. We need to see it against Manchester United on Boxing Day and then against Burnley to really put 2025 behind us.

Like the whole team, these star players are still trying to prove themselves. It's not easy to win back the fans after letting them down. If they can stay unbeaten in the next couple of away games, things might be different.

If we're wondering if Howe can turn Woltemade into a natural striker, can he please do the same with Anthony Elanga? He's been awful. He's fast but out of control. He doesn't produce anything, so he's lost all his confidence.

It's surprising that Elanga and Jacob Ramsey, who came from other Premier League clubs, have had a harder time fitting in than Woltemade and Malick Thiaw, who came from other countries.

Lately, Alex Murphy's been getting more time with Newcastle United's first team. Good for him, no matter how he got the chance.

Right now, Newcastle United is dealing with a lot of injuries, especially in defence. But Eddie Howe and the team are doing their best to get through it.

Tino Livramento is out for a while, and Lewis Hall hasn't been able to stay fit. This gave Lewis Miley a chance to play at right-back. Also, Alex Murphy played some minutes mid-week.

He might play more now through the busy holiday games. His rise has had a good effect on other academy players, too.

Alex Murphy deserves this opportunity.

Newcastle United youth coach Adam Lawrence told the Shields Gazette that Murphy's recent appearance is both good and bad for the club.

He said that people at the club know Alex much better than he does. But he has watched Alex play for the Under-21s. He has potential. He is making the most of situations.

He continued to state that with Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento injured, those aren’t ideal situations to want. Because those injuries allowed for academy players to step up. Alex played the last part of the game against Fulham, which was a big plus.

You get ready for that moment, and then when it happens. It is all about being prepared to handle the moment and make a good impression. It was nice to see Alex get a moment. It was a good moment for him.”

It looks like Murphy is now part of Newcastle's future strategies. Eddie Howe has praised the young defender for how well he's played under pressure.

Sean Neave and Leo Shahar are up next.

Murphy isn't the only one to step up recently. Leo Shahar and Sean Neave didn't play against Fulham last week. They were in the Carabao Cup team.

Lawrence is happy to see them move up, even if it means he can't use them for the Under-21s.

He said that “Having Leo and Sean with us today makes our team stronger, and it’s too bad they are missing because they would enjoy those types of games. Our goal is to get players into the first team and into the games that they have experience in today.

It’s good for our players to see that and to understand their opportunity. But also that it’s hard to be at that level. Leo and Sean have to work hard to get to that stage. Also, there, trying to find their way, some will hopefully get to that level.

When they see players getting better, they should feel that it is an inspiration.”

Lawrence also talked about Lewis Miley, who is also pushing the younger players at Newcastle. He is showing them that they can make it to the first team.