The game was not technically over. The season was far from over. However, Newcastle United fans were rightly daring to dream after their side moved up to fourth place in the table.

"Is this the way to Barcelona?" the Gallowgate End boomed with half an hour to go in the 3-0 win against Wolves. "Bayern Munich, Lazio, Roma. Geordie boys are taking over! The Champions League awaits for me."

It had been a while since the chant was heard at St James' Park. In fact, Aston Villa fans had even borrowed and adapted the song since its previous airing on Tyneside. Now it has returned after Eddie Howe's side recorded a ninth successive win in all competitions.

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"I've got no issue with that," the Newcastle boss told reporters. "That's absolutely what they have to do and I want them to. I want the environment and the atmosphere here to be as good as it can be for us and as hard as it can be for the opposition. The supporters were magnificent and they have been for a long time."

Why shouldn't Newcastle fans be thinking big? This side certainly look like they could ruffle one or two feathers in the Champions League in this sort of form.

Newcastle have a striker in Alexander Isak who is the best in the business right now. In fact, no other player has scored more goals across Europe's big-five leagues since December.

Isak has naturally grabbed the headlines, as a result, but Anthony Gordon has been directly involved in nine goals during this winning streak while Jacob Murphy has seven goal involvements to his name. No wonder Vitor Pereira was the first to admit it was 'not easy to stop them' because 'in a second they can score a goal'. "We tried everything," the Wolves boss sighed on Wednesday night.

Newcastle also have a formidable midfield trio in Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton, who are capable of going up against any side in the Premier League right now. The trio's work rate without the ball is every bit as striking as what they do in possession - and that is saying something.

Tonali, Bruno and Joelinton have helped protect a backline who have only conceded three goals in their last nine games in all competitions. That is all the more impressive when you consider that Newcastle have been without first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope for a couple of months, but Martin Dubravka has stepped up impressively and saved 14 of the 15 shots on target he has faced in the Premier League.

Such a run does not happen by accident, of course, and Newcastle have a manager in Howe who has taken this side on since they last qualified for the Champions League a couple of seasons ago. To the point where Newcastle are 'having more control of the ball' in the 47-year-old's own words.

Perhaps, most importantly, Howe has helped build an elite mentality during his time at the club. Beating any Premier League side 3-0 is no mean feat yet Howe spoke about how 'we have to be hard on ourselves in this moment for our own success' following the victory against Wolves on Wednesday night.

Just as Newcastle did not get too low following a bruising 4-2 defeat at Brentford last month, players and staff have not got carried away after landmark victories at Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United. There has been a wild shift in the external narrative in that time, which has seen the supposed no hopers in the bottom half suddenly touted as dark horses in the title race, but you suspect that won't have an adverse effect. Just ask the ice-cool Isak.

"There's going to be noise from the outside, but it's been peaceful within the group," the striker added. "We have been very focused and concentrated on each game. I think you can see that."