Everton thrashed by resurgent Newcastle side

“We’ve still got a lot of work to do before we say we are capable of this consistently,” said Howe. “But I’m delighted with that performance, the fact we were able to rotate the team and you can see the strength we have as a squad. A great feeling and performance.

“It’s really important we soak this in, we have let the fans down [away from home] and we have felt that disappointment. It felt good to put that right and send them back to Newcastle happy.”

It was as though months of frustration and disappointment were unleashed on Everton, who were in disarray before the end of the first half. They were crushed, then shredded in front of their own fans and were playing in front of an angry, half-empty stadium after the fourth goal went in before the hour.

David Moyes’ side were blown away, conceding the first after just 55 seconds and another two before half-time as the visitors went on the rampage.

As well as two headers from Thiaw, serenaded after the final whistle by a delirious travelling support, there was also an outrageous third from Nick Woltemade in the wake of a terrible mistake from Pickford when Lewis Miley scored Newcastle’s second.

The former Sunderland goalkeeper – who was tormented throughout with insulting songs about his former club and home city, flapped at a shot trying to pat it down and let it through his legs. It captured the zeitgeist of a perfect Geordie night.

Newcastle have been making fast starts on the road for a while, but this was Mach 9. The contest was only 20 seconds old when Elanga, played in by Woltemade, got a shot away that was saved by Jordan Pickford.

From the resulting corner, Thiaw headed home the fastest goal of the Premier League season, breaking the record set by Manchester City’s Phil Foden a few hours earlier. It was an Arsenal-style corner routine, the players starting at the far post before running to attack the ball at the near, but it was a deliciously flighted cross from Miley.