Published: 02:00, 23 October 2025 | Updated: 02:00, 23 October 2025

For some, it was like the last throw of the discus in an Olympic final – arms stretched wide like an aeroplane, the force and propulsion drawing gasps of disbelief.

Others immediately began to think of the final seconds of the Super Bowl, the quarterback shuffling into space then throwing with all his might in the hope of connecting with his running back: hit the target and the stadium erupts as a touchdown is on the way.

Either way, Nick Pope did something remarkable in Newcastle's 3-0 skewering of Benfica, his quick-thinking and execution inviting that wonderful question: 'Did you see that?' If you haven't, you must, because this was a moment that made you conjure images of Peter Schmeichel and Tom Brady rolled into one.

A brief description: in the 70th minute, Pope clutched the ball by his own penalty spot. He took a step, looked up at his options, took another step and then heaved a pass forward, curling and fading away from Benfica's defenders into the path of Harvey Barnes,...