When the 1,700 Bournemouth fans with a ticket for Saturday's match at Newcastle left their homes in the early hours of the morning – some just after midnight – they may have been questioning their own judgement.
The high-flying Magpies had won nine in a row in all competitions, had triumphed in each of their previous five home matches, and had one of Europe's most in-form strikers at their disposal in Alexander Isak.
Andoni Iraola's team had not lost in the Premier League since November, but were without a host of first-team players through injury, including Marcos Senesi, Marcus Tavernier, Luis Sinisterra, Evanilson and Enes Unal.