If Matz Sels’ performance in midweek was disappointing, Karl Darlow’s on Friday night was spectacular.
The 26-year-old rose up through the Nottingham Forest Academy to make more than 100 league appearances for their first team - and now he looks determined to hold on to the Newcastle United No 1 spot for as long as he possibly can.
And that includes when Tim Krul returns from Ajax Amsterdam.
Is he THAT good? I think Friday's performance shows how good he really is.
An inauspicious league debut against West Bromwich Albion less than 12 months ago now appears a lifetime away after Darlow put in yet another consummate display on his return to the City Ground.
He typified Newcastle’s fighting spirit; United may have come out with a hard-luck story after losing nine men and only conceding a second with four minutes of normal time remaining, but they battled for every single ball and showed immense character.
It was Darlow who was their last line of defence and, not only did he make a few crucial stops from open play, he saved two penalties in the space of 10 minutes.
He said ahead of the game how keen he was to return to the ground where he was nurtured into a professional goalkeeper, and the 26-year-old had a night to remember from a personal point of view.
Booed at regular intervals by the home faithful - though that was intertwined with applause too - Darlow made a crucial point-blank save early on to deny Matty Cash at the far post.
Then came those two spectacular penalty stops.
First, Nicklas Bendtner placed a decent-enough penalty to Darlow’s right, but the Magpies stopper stuck out a strong arm to force it over the bar.
It kept United level, and they soon took the lead through Matt Ritchie.
Then, with his side down to nine men, Darlow picked up a booking in the build-up to the second spot-kick for dissent.
But Darlow then proved he will take some shifting between the Newcastle sticks - despite Rob Elliot’s imminent return - by this time throwing himself to his right to block away Henri Lansbury’s penalty.