Most people in the UK were awaiting an emergency alert, yet this came an hour early for Tottenham Hotspur.
If the southerners were not already in a state of crisis, then they sure were after just 20 minutes at St James' Park.
Newcastle United stunned Cristian Stellini's men with five goals in the opening stage of the game, with only Manchester City to do the same to another team in a quicker time - 18 minutes.
Harry Kane managed to pull one back early in the second-half, but the only fans that were celebrating were Newcastle, very sarcastically. United then added to their marvellous display when substitutes Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson linked up, with the latter scoring with his first touch.
The Magpies had most definitely bounced back from their Aston Villa defeat, and are now in prime position to qualify for Europe's toughest competition.
As for Tottenham, they remain in fifth place with the in-form Villa continuously closing the gap, now just two points behind them.
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Magic Murphy continues to improve
Only absent of the wand, the top hat, and the cloak, Newcastle's number 23 dazzled the Spurs defence with his frightening pace and lethal right-foot, as he scored a brace in under nine minutes.
The right-winger was the fastest to react to Joelinton's shot, as he slotted the ball away from close range past a defeated Hugo Lloris to put The Magpies ahead after just 60 seconds.
Then to his own disbelief, Murphy made it 3-0 with a remarkable 25-yard screamer that dipped past a motionless Lloris, who was consequently substituted at half-time after suffering a hip injury.
A player who has previously been described as one-dimensional has managed to excel his ability, courtesy of some great coaching by Howe and Co.
Even his off-the-ball movement is integral to Newcastle's success. The 28-year-old effectively presses opposition full-backs and cuts the passing lanes which forces defenders to pass inside - where NUFC are most successful in their turnovers.
Even though the winger's role will inevitably become a rotational one, his performances this season have been nothing short of exceptional, and he has proved many, many people wrong - including myself.
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Gareth Southgate will undoubtedly come calling for Joe Willock
The 23-year-old is proving to everyone just how good a talent he really is, and why he was a bargain at just £25 million.
Now paired with matching dreadlocks, "Willockinho" continues to live up to his new nickname as the midfielder put in another performance worthy of a call-up to the England squad.
His all-round display was topped with one of the assists of the season as the central midfielder played a superb outside-of-the-foot ball around the Spurs backline to play Alexander Isak through on goal, who duly slotted away Newcastle's fourth goal of the afternoon.
The box-to-box midfielder boasted an impressive successful pass rate of 89.7%, and was also just as effective with his defensive contributions, winning six out of his eight ground duels and making two tackles.
His composure on the ball, combined with his agility and ridiculous speed, is moulding him into one of the standout performers week in, week out for Howe's men, and it will not be long before he earns his first international cap.
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If Tottenham were requested to provide a proof of identity, they could not.
A club who's problems are deep-rooted, way deeper than the starting XI, the squad, the manager, and the coaching staff, are in great turmoil.
Embarrassment, disbelief, and anger would have been just three of the many emotions Tottenham fans experienced within the first 20 minutes of football at St James' Park on Sunday.
But on top of all that, where was the identity the full match? Spurs' passing network suggested there was none at all, as they were chaotically positioned all over the pitch, like they have been for a lot of games this season.
Although Stellini turned to a back four, this was not an excuse for the dismal defensive display that was showcased to 3,000 Tottenham fans that had travelled over 240 miles to watch their team play.
Kane was often positioned as deep as Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, leaving them with no attacking outlet down the centre. Tactically speaking, there was also a lack of identity in the way Spurs planned to stop Newcastle's attack.
Not one player pressured Bruno Guimarães all game, who had an extraordinary amount of time on the ball which allowed him to dictate the midfield easily.
Other than changing to a back three in the second-half, Tottenham did very little to try and trouble Newcastle's backline. Even the simplest of things such as moving Heung-min Son to the right-wing to exploit Dan burn's lack of pace clearly was not considered.
No identity, no game plan, and no effort.
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A European competition is no guarantee for Spurs
The Lilywhites may find themselves in fifth place, but with a tough run of games ahead, not even the Europa Conference League is a guarantee.
Tottenham face Manchester United later this week, following their heavy defeat on Tyneside, and will have to take their performance to a whole new level if they want to take anything from the game.
After that, Spurs face an away trip to Liverpool, who are slowly but surely climbing their way into a European place, and are now just three points behind them with a game in hand.
Following the sacking of Stellini, Ryan Mason will be tasked with an incredibly hard challenge to change results at Tottenham, who have only won two out of their last nine games.
Fans of the club will be begging for the season to be over after their PR disaster with Fabio Paratici, Antonio Conte's eventful saga, and Daniel Levy's questionable decision-making. However, one thing fans will not be looking forward to at the end of the season is Kane's decision about his future.
A player that has been the face of Tottenham for the past ten years may finally decide to leave the club and seek out trophies elsewhere, something that has proved a near-impossible task to earn while at White Hart Lane. After the season he has endured, not many would blame him if he left his boyhood club.
