Matthias Jaissle has guided Newcastle United to five matches without defeat at the start of his reign — matching a sequence the club had not achieved since April 2025. The latest chapter arrived at The Den, where Newcastle edged past Millwall in the Carabao Cup Third Round to set up a place in the last 16.

Wissa's armband moment

Jaissle's most eye-catching selection call was handing the captain's armband to Yoane Wissa, the DR Congo striker ahead of long-serving defenders Fabian Schar and Jacob Murphy — players who have been at the club for eight and nine years, respectively. A subtle but telling choice that underlines how the club's hierarchy is shifting.

Wissa repaid that faith with a diligent if understated display. Eight minutes in, he sprinted back to stifle a Millwall counter-attack and won a decisive free-kick. He was withdrawn on 62 minutes having done his job without flourish — a far cry from the frequently peripheral figure who arrived on Tyneside for £55 million only 372 days ago.

Willock seals it

Joe Willock, who might easily have left in the summer window alongside £70 million departure Nick Woltemade, has instead been repurposed in a front-two alongside Wissa. That reshuffling paid dividends late on when Willock converted Lewis Hall's left-flank cross for his second goal of the season — Newcastle's only genuinely crafted move of the second half.

Before that breakthrough, goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek's upright kept Millwall's Tairyk Arconte from opening the scoring, a reminder that Newcastle's defensive record is far from spotless. They have conceded twice in three league fixtures — against Liverpool FC and AFC Bournemouth, the latter having led 2-0 before Newcastle salvaged a draw — and shipped two again against West Bromwich Albion in the previous round of this competition.

A work in progress

Newcastle's underlying numbers tell a cautious story. In each of their three league games this season, the Magpies have created fewer chances and registered fewer shots than their opponents. Only against West Brom did they control the majority of the game, and even then they conceded an xG of 1.46.

The pattern at The Den was similar — deserving winners, but by no convincing margin. Newcastle can be fluid and purposeful one moment, uncertain and disjointed the next, the hallmarks of a squad still searching for a settled identity after a summer of significant departures.

Jaissle's terrace chant — set to the tune of Baccara's Yes Sir, I Can Boogie — did not ring out until the 87th minute, but it continued through the final whistle and beyond. Five unbeaten. A date at Elland Road against Leeds United comes next, then home matches against newly-promoted Hull City and Coventry City. For now, Newcastle are finding their feet — and for now, that is enough.