Saturday 10 December 2016 20:51, UK
Birmingham boss Gary Rowett would be "astonished" if Newcastle do not make an immediate return to the Premier League.
The Magpies returned to the top of the Championship by crushing the Blues 4-0 on Tyneside, with Dwight Gayle grabbing a second hat-trick since his £10million switch from Crystal Palace.
Gayle headed in the first in the 18th minute and added a second with his right foot six minutes later. Yoan Gouffran grabbed a third seconds after half-time and Gayle rounded off a perfect treble with his left boot 13 minutes before the end.
The victory lifted Newcastle back above Brighton by a point, while Birmingham slipped out of the play-off places.
Rowett, whose side started the day in fifth, said: "Newcastle are very clinical and they hurt you in different ways. We had been very effective in these games by blocking, you can't let Newcastle have space and if you do they will hurt you.
"We tried to deny them space in our half first half, and at times their movement was so good, their penetrating runs were excellent. It was a bit of a football lesson, it was also an athletic lesson.
"The top players run and they sprint. Make no bones about it, that is a Premier League team out there we were against in the unbelievable stadium they have. I will be astonished (if they are not a Premier League team next season).
"We were fifth because we have been bloody-minded and worked hard for each other. Today we didn't work hard enough to stop Newcastle from dictating almost everything in the game."
Gayle took his tally to 16 goals in 15 matches for Newcastle, who ended a three-match run without a win, which had seen Brighton climb above them by defeating Leeds on Friday night.
But boss Rafael Benitez said: "We were really focused. We started well, created good chances and we needed to do that in the second half as well.
"I am pleased with the concentration of the players and pleased with how they were playing, the hat-trick of Dwight and the contribution of Mo Diame and the players. I think they realised how important it was.
"If the team is playing well Dwight will score goals. He is a great finisher, good movement and he can make the difference. I knew he could score goals, but I don't think too much about how many. Hopefully he can score every game.
"I wanted to get three points. That was the main thing, we need to be strong enough and compete in every game and be at the end of the season the top."
