Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan told leading figures at St James' Park that PIF still scream ambition before taking his seat at St James' Park against Nottingham Forest.

Before a ball had been kicked, the PIF supremo met heads of departments on his visit to Tyneside after jetting in from Riyadh. Head of recruitment Steve Nickson, Academy chief Steve Harper and the club's scouting department were present as Newcastle start to aim big for the future.

The St James' Park chairman is also understood to have been shown stadium plans for next month's announcement for the club's next move as far as a new home is concerned. Al-Rumayyan has always spoken of the club becoming "number 1" in English football but this season's aim, regardless of Carabao Cup success, has to be qualifying for the Champions League.

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Here he was served a reminder that Newcastle can clinch one of the five potential spots that are up for grabs in Europe's premier competition. Much had been made of Chris Wood's hat-trick here last season but despite a sloppy start, Newcastle turned on the style in front of the watching supremo.

Forest won the toss and inevitably opted to turn the Magpies around to make them shoot uphill in the second half. The game got off to a poor start with a Jacob Murphy error helping to hand Forest the lead.

Murphy lost the ball in his own half after a throw in from Tino Livramento with Callum Hudson-Odoi collecting the ball before unleashing a 25-yard shot past the recalled Nick Pope. Newcastle tried to respond but struggled to break down the visitors.

A Livramento cross on 18 minutes was whipped across the face of goal but Anthony Gordon failed to connect properly. But the game was tied up mid-way through the first half after a set-piece was not fully cleared by Nottingham Forest.

Lewis Hall floated the initial ball into the box but despite Bruno nodding it across the goal, it was worked back to the left-back by Alexander Isak who found Joe Willock. Hall then picked out Lewis Miley inside the box before he fired a low shot past Matz Sels.

At that stage, you could feel the relief oozing out around St James' Park, but the fans were soon celebrating again. Hall was again the architect as his teasing ball deflected across the six yard area and fell perfectly for Murphy who bundled home from close range.

Isak had released Hall with a back-heel before his deflected ball into the middle was touched in by Murphy for 2-1. Moments later, a VAR check for a penalty unfolded with referee Jarred Gillett heading over to the monitor for an on field review after Ola Aina's block with the arm.

Hall had again been instrumental with a cross from the left which Aina blocked. This led to the VAR review and an on field review before the man in the middle pointed to the spot.

After a long delay, Isak stepped up, and while his spot-kick was risky, it beat Sels through the middle despite the Belgian keeper getting a glove to it. Incredibly, it was 4-1 on 34 minutes as Isak helped himself to a second strike of the afternoon.

Hall was involved again as he fed the ball to Joe Willock before he picked off Isak in the box. The Sweden international delicately lifted it home as Newcastle netted a fourth goal in the space of 11 minutes.

It left Forest shell-shocked after a five-goal first half that wasn't short on entertainment with Hall very much the main man with 54 touches in the opening 45 minutes.

The second half started with Murphy forcing a corner at the Leazes End. Hall whipped the ball in with Fabian Schar's towering header striking the post before Forest cleared for another flag kick.

But the afternoon was made a little more interesting when Forest pulled a goal back on 64 minutes. Whitley Bay lad Elliot Anderson swung the corner in for Chris Wood before Nikola Milenkovic back-heeled the ball past Pope for 4-2.

It gave Forest confidence, and after a couple of penalty shouts, Anderson then rolled one wide of the upright mid-way through the second half. A late change resulted in Callum Wilson getting a cameo, with Isak going off with Liverpool next week clearly in mind.

Nuno's side caused a late concern when sub Ryan Yates pulled one back to set up a nervous finish but Newcastle held on. The Magpies are back in fifth place 12 matches left.

Is a Champions League slot theirs to lose now?

Referee: Jarred Gillett

Attendance: 52,223