NEWCASTLE 1 NORWICH CITY 0
NEWCASTLE: Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Perch, Ben Arfa (Santon 63), Cabaye, Guthrie (Gosling 76), Gutierrez, Ba, Cisse (Shola Ameobi 69).
Subs Not Used: Elliot, Abeid, Vuckic, Donaldson.
NORWICH: Ruddy, Naughton, Ward, Whitbread, Drury (Hoolahan 82), Elliott Bennett, Pilkington (Martin 85), Howson (Holt 77), Fox, Surman, Morison.
Subs Not Used: Steer, Johnson, Crofts, Jackson.
Att: 47, 833
The Argentine international (pictured right) has been spectacular this season, and his 'Man Of The Match' performance against Norwich on Sunday was nothing short of fabulous!
He was played out of position at left-back in a strange formation that Alan Pardew hoped would unsettle the Canaries ... and for the first half it did.
Two strikers, and four in midfield to battle against City's five, meant Gutierrez was expected to be the fifth man in the centre of the park should the need arise ... and it did ... often.
He covered more ground than half of the team put together, and not only was he steady in defence, but he was the brains behind every serious Newcastle attack.
In the end the match was won by a stunning strike (made by a fabulous pass from Gutierrez) by Papiss Cisse, and the rest was very much a match to forget.
However it rekindled Newcastle's challenge for Europe as the Magpies secured a first win in five league games.
There was always the threat of another Wolves capitulation, or a last ditch strike like in the Arsenal game ... but Danny Simpson didn't get cramp this time, and the back-line did what was asked of them.
It wasn't pretty, and against a side full of 'no names' we probably expected more, but the result is all that matters for the time being.
On another day Cisse might have - and SHOULD have - left with the match ball after passing up a series of glorious chances to add to his tally.
But that was in part down to the resilience of Canaries goalkeeper John Ruddy, who produced a string of fine saves.
Opposite number Tim Krul also had to be at his best to deny Anthony Pilkington and Zak Whitbread in quick succession with the visitors threatening to snatch a point in front of a tense crowd of 47,833.
January signing Cisse produced a finish in keeping with the near-£10million fee the Magpies paid for him with 11 minutes gone when he got ahead of defender Whitehead to drill Gutierrez's cross instinctively past the helpless Ruddy.
But had he been as lethal with the other chances which came his way during a lively opening 45 minutes, the points could have been banked long before the end of the game.
There were less than two minutes on the clock when Yohan Cabaye played the Senegal international in for the first time, and his cheeky lob was only just plucked out of the air by the advancing Ruddy.
Kyle Naughton made a vital block to prevent Cisse's 39th-minute volley from ending up in the back of the net, but he should have doubled his tally two minutes later when he ran on to Gutierrez's sumptuous pass, but could not beat the keeper one on one.
In the meantime, Ruddy had pulled off a fine reaction save to claw away Demba Ba's effort as it threatened to creep inside his far post, and Elliott Bennett have survived appeals for a penalty after Danny Guthrie's cross hit his hand.
The Canaries, as they have done for much of the first campaign back in the top flight to date, moved the ball confidently and created three chances of note of their own.
Jonny Howson only just failed to capitalise on Mike Williamson's 19th-minute error before Pilkington drilled a long-range effort into Krul's midriff.
But they could have gone in level had Andrew Surman hit the target rather than firing wildly across the face of goal in the final minute of the half.
Hatem Ben Arfa might have eased Newcastle further clear within seconds of the restart when he ran on to Whitbread's weak clearing header, but although he made good progress into the penalty area, he screwed his right-foot shot harmlessly wide.
Cisse tested Ruddy once again, this time from distance, after running on to Ba's 50th-minute lay-off, and the keeper needed two attempts to claim his shot.
But Norwich were in no mood to lie down and accept their fate, and the home side needed Krul to preserve their lead twice within seconds.
The Holland international first blocked Pilkington's shot at his near post and then tipped Whitbread's header over with the visitors pushing hard for an equaliser.
Ba fired wide from distance as Newcastle responded, but with frustration mounting on the terraces, Pardew replaced Ben Arfa with Santon, in the process freeing up Gutierrez, who had started at left-back, to return to his accustomed midfield role.
Newcastle managed to exert a measure of control as the clock ran down with the physical presence of substitute Shola Ameobi helping to relieve some of the pressure, although Steve Morison might have levelled at the death, but scuffed his shot straight at Krul under pressure from Fabricio Coloccini.
It was a strange formation that was forced on the Toon boss, and he came away a winner.
All credit to him and the Newcastle players.