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Guimaraes scores two beauties as Newcastle continue to put pressure on their European rivals

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They don't call them The Entertainers for nothing!

Eddie Howe's Newcastle gives Kevin Keegan's vintage Magpies a run for their money – and the Premier League is a lot more fun because of it.

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Goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Fabian Schar won the match for NewcastleCredit: Reuters
Guimaraes celebrates with fans after scoring Newcastle's winner

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Guimaraes celebrates with fans after scoring Newcastle's winnerCredit: PA
Anthony Elanga scored his fifth Premier League goal of the season

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Anthony Elanga scored his fifth Premier League goal of the seasonCredit: Reuters

Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes produced a pair of belters either side of Fabian Schar's brilliant half-volley to take all three points in a five-goal thriller.

Forest responded twice with goals from Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi and were moments away from a third equalizer through Morgan-Gibbs-White in stoppage time.

But the Geordies held on to claim a fourth top flight win on the spin for the first time since 2003.

Amazingly, their 24 Premier games have now produced a record 90 goals, while they have leaked a whopping 25 goals since Martin Dubravka replaced Nick Pope in December!

The win saw them move up to seventh place, while Forest remained dangerously close to the drop zone after their eleventh 3-2 defeat since being promoted.

Nuno Espirito Santo's men had beaten Newcastle 3-1 on Boxing Day in his second game in charge.

And within five minutes they picked up almost where they left off: St James's Park.

Nuno Tavares cut the ball back to Morgan Gibbs-White, who dragged his shot inches wide when it should have hit the target.

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How he came to regret that miss, as five minutes later Newcastle took the lead with a goal straight from the Toon Training Ground.

Sean Longstaff rolled a short corner to Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon deliberately blocked Anthony Elanga.

That gave the England full-back the time and space to take out Bruno Guimaraes, who brilliantly struck the ball with the outside of his right boot, leaving Matz Sels gasping for breath.

It was the Portuguese midfielder's second goal of the season and his first since Newcastle's 8-0 thrashing of Sheffield United.

The one thing you can be sure of when the Magpies are around is goals.

Forest should have equalized when Nicolas Dominguez exposed Dan Burn's lack of pace with a brilliant pass, allowing Elanga to sprint clear.

But the Sweden international crashed his shot onto the legs of Martin Dubravka.

However, the former Manchester United winger made up for it with a goal that exposed all the Geordies' shortcomings.

Morgan Gibbs-White broke through the visitors' press far too easily and had time on the right flank to pick out Elanga.

It was another mismatch with Burn, who should actually have allowed a professional foul and had to settle for a yellow card.

Instead, he allowed Elanga to outpace him again and Dubravka completed the comedy of errors by racing outside his penalty area in a vain attempt to clear the danger.

Elanga arrived first and after making up his mind, rolled the ball through the keeper's legs into the empty net from 25 yards.

However, Forest are vulnerable from set pieces and they proved that when Newcastle took the lead again two minutes before half-time.

Trippier's deep free-kick was missed by Burn, Sven Botman nodded the ball back into the mix and Fabian Schar showed a striker's instincts to finish expertly with a perfect half-volley.

It was the Swiss stopper's third goal on the road in his last two away games after his double at Aston Villa.

But once again the Gerodies were unable to defend their lead as Forest leveled for a second time six minutes into first-half stoppage time.

Tavares found Callum Hudson-Odoi who made it 1-2 with Dominguez before firing from the edge of the penalty area.

The ball bounced poorly off teenager Lewis Miley, leaving Dubravka wrong-footed and helpless as it ended up in the back of his net.

The relentless pace of the match continued after the break.

Awoniyi buried the ball past Dubravka but had strayed offside. The big striker then beat Botman with a long range from Sels and went down when Dubravka's swinging arm appeared to trip him.

But VAR Tony Harrington was having none of it and agreed with Anthony Taylor's on-field decision to let the Geordies off the hook.

However, Anthony Elanga wasn't so lucky as he was punished for a brain fart moment, giving Newcastle the lead again.

His attempt to clear Gibbs-White on the edge of his own penalty area was attacked by Bruno Guimaraes and the Brazilian smashed the ball past Sels from 18 yards.

It was the third time the Magpies had hit the front and Nuno sent on Divock Origi for Awoniyi and new signing Gio Reyna for Yates in an attempt to take it back again.

But this time Newcastle held firm…. just now!

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