With our return to the Premier League firmly cemented, goals under the final days of Chris Hughton and the first few years under Alan Pardew saw the goals flowing on a consistent basis once again, arguably for the first time since Glenn Roeder and Sir Bobby Robson. Papiss Cisse signed for the club from SC Freiburg in January 2012 and was many people's choice for signing of the season after scoring thirteen goals in fourteen games.
With the help of Papiss Cisse's goals, the club achieved their highest league finish since 2004 which led the team to achieve an entertaining run in the Europa League in which they achieved the club's highest European finish since 2005. This century of goals took around twenty-three months to complete and took the club to the landmark of their first millennium of Premier League goals.
Date: 31st October 2010 to 17th September 2012 (687 days)
First goal
Newcastle United 3 (Shola Ameobi pen 45) Sunderland 0 - 31/10/10
With Newcastle leading the mackems 2-0 on the stroke of half time, Jonas Gutierrez, who had already dished out several headaches of the Sunderland defence in the first half, ran with the ball and was tripped by Nedum Onuoha just inside the box which prompted Phil Dowd to point to the spot. Ameobi stepped up to take it which was a strange choice considering Kevin Nolan, after scoring the other two goals in that first half, was on a hat-trick. Ameobi, though, was always reliable from twelve yards as he never missed a penalty in a Newcastle shirt. The Nigerian international gave Newcastle a 3-0 lead at half time. Little did Sunderland know that that was just the beginning.
Most important goal
Newcastle United 1 (Papiss Cisse 11) Norwich 0 - 18/03/12
Goal 981: There were so many important goals in this century of Premier League goals like Ryan Taylor's winner in the Tyne/Wear derby, Shola Ameobi's last minute equaliser in the Tyne/Wear derby, Cheick Tiote's late equaliser to complete the greatest Premier League comeback to name a few. However I think Papiss Cisse's goal at home to Norwich to give us a 1-0 victory over the Canaries was the most important. Going into the game, we had failed to win in our last four games including two defeats in London against Tottenham and Arsenal along with two home draws against Wolves and Sunderland. The win against Norwich started what turned out to become a six-game winning streak, the last of which coming against Stoke. The following day after the Stoke match, Everton failed to beat Man United in a 4-4 thriller which meant that we had guaranteed ourselves European qualification with four games to spare. Even Champions League qualification remained a distinct possibility going into the final day but that dream ended when Tottenham beat Fulham on the final day. However, because Chelsea, who finished below us in sixth place, won the Champions League that season, fourth placed Tottenham had to then settle for the Europa League.
Best goal
Chelsea 0 Newcastle United 2 (Papiss Cisse 90) - 02/05/12
Goal 995: It is one of those goals that we have seen on so many occasions on some great goal compilations and this goal is arguably the first thought of a Newcastle fan whenever Papiss Cisse is mentioned. The striker was already on the scoresheet after scoring an excellent goal in the first half. In the second half, a lot of time was allocated in added time because Cheick Tiote sustained a head injury which required lengthy treatment. Four minutes in to added time, Ryan Taylor's throw-in was launched down the left wing and was met by Shola Ameobi who chested the ball to Cisse. Papiss struck the ball first time and the movement of the ball through the air appeared to completely deceive Petr Cech as it went in via the far post. This goal secured the three points and Newcastle's only league win at Stamford Bridge since November 1986 (the very same month that Sir Alex Ferguson became manager of Manchester United).
Most goals in a match
Newcastle United 5 (Leon Best 18, 39, 60, Kevin Nolan 45, Peter Lovenkrands 63) West Ham 0 - 05/01/11
Leon Best scored his first goals for the club, twelve months after signing from Coventry, in the form of a hat-trick in a convincing 5-0 win at home to West Ham who endured a terrible season under Avram Grant as they were the first team to be relegated in the division. On this occasion, this win was the third time that we scored five or more goals in a game that season (Aston Villa and Sunderland being the other victims), an achievement no other team out of the then top two divisions managed to do.
Favourite opponents
West Brom (Peter Lovenkrands x2, Steven Taylor, Jonas Olsson own goal, Demba Ba x2, Papiss Cisse x2, Hatem Ben Arfa) - 9 goals.
One notable thing about an encounter with West Brom in this era is that includes the 3-1 win over the Baggies in March 2012. This win saw Newcastle 3-0 up at half time. This was the last time the Magpies were three or more goals ahead at half time and the club has never had a bigger lead at half time since we were 3-0 up in our 5-1 home win against Cardiff in February 2010.
Highest scorer
Demba Ba (Blackburn x3, Wolves, Tottenham x2, Stoke x3, Man United x2, Norwich x2, West Brom x2, Bolton, Aston Villa, Everton) - 18 goals.
It took a while for Ba to get going but once he got that all-important first goal, it felt like he could not stop scoring until he was called upon to play for Senegal in the African cup of Nations in January. Ba went on to score hat-tricks against Blackburn and Stoke, the joint most hat-tricks scored by a Newcastle player in the Premier League. After returning from international duty, Ba still played after the arrival of his Senegal teammate, Papiss Cisse but the goalscoring baton was given to Cisse as Ba struggled to find the net again.
Statistics
Right foot: 50 (up 1 from Goals 801-900)
Header: 17 (down 10)
Left foot: 30 (up 7)
Other: 3 (up 2)
Inside the box: 81 (down 7)
Outside the box: 19 (up 7)
Open play: 73 (up 1)
Set piece situation: 17 (down 1)
Penalty: 7 (down 2)
Free kick (directly): 3 (up 2)
At St. James' Park: 62 (up 3)
- Gallowgate End: 39 (up 4)
- Leazes End: 23 (down 1)
Away from home: 38 (down 3)
Strikers: 60 (unchanged)
Midfielders: 28 (up 1)
Defenders: 6 (down 4)
Own goals: 6 (up 3)