When a team is winning 4-1 away from home, it is not common to focus on two full-backs, but the performances of Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall are worth highlighting as this is exactly why they were signed.
Newcastle spent a total of £60m on the pair last summer, a decision that left many scratching their heads as they already had England international Kieran Trippier at right-back and two left-backs on their books. Questions were asked in an accusatory tone.
It cost a lot of money to invest in two players who were not likely, or expected, to be the first choice at their position, especially if there were other areas of need.
However, Newcastle insisted they had to build for the future, not just the present, and against Burnley their young full-back was fantastic.
“I believed in the players when we signed them,” said Howe, who praised all his players for the way they pushed for a European spot with a late-season charge. “I believed in their long-term potential.
“The difficulty is that you already have Kieran Trippier and other players in those positions, but we had to invest in some young players in the hope that they would come through and challenge them. They are two excellent talents and that showed today. They gave us real energy and quality and I am happy with them both.”
It's a company that now looks incredibly smart. It means Newcastle already look stronger going into next season, even before the summer transfer window opens, with Hall and Livramento established in the squad and fully aware of Howe's needs. They will play a much more prominent role next season, which is encouraging in itself, but especially when you also take into account the return of Italy international Tonali to midfield.
At 21, Livramento had already shown plenty of promise on the right; he has done well against much better sides than Burnley in his first season in black and white and did the same when he was at Southampton.