NEWCASTLE: This was about more than a win, more than three points, more than just getting back on track in the Premier League.

The victory over Brentford was about everything that last season represented 鈥� the glory, the joy, the success. This was about hard yards, consolidation, proving a point 鈥� and doubters wrong. This was about releasing the pressure valve and enjoying something so long in the making, something two starved decades had eaten up.

Newcastle United return to the Champions League for the first time since the summer of 2004 on Tuesday night. Italian giants AC Milan the opponents, the iconic San Siro the stage.

However, on Saturday morning, the mood on Tyneside was not triumphal. Instead, 24 hours before, Eddie Howe had been fielding questions on the club鈥檚 mini 鈥渃risis鈥� and discussing how he had no time for critics of himself, or his side, at the club鈥檚 training base.

This really was not how it was supposed to be. A club so starved of even relative success should be on cloud nine at even the prospect of a return to the continent, never mind a shot at glory in the world鈥檚 premier club competition. Yet having lost three games in a row, and finding themselves in the lower reaches of the Premier League, the air cut a somber environment ahead of the visit of the then-unbeaten Bees.

A win was all that mattered on Saturday evening, and luckily for Howe, Newcastle and all associated with it, Callum Wilson, top scorer in the last three seasons, delivered.

鈥淧ressure?鈥� Wilson quipped, after the match. 鈥淧ressure is for tires.鈥�

His solitary strike, a well-struck penalty at the famous Gallowgate End, was enough to lift the gloom which had gone before and turn eyes very firmly to Tuesday鈥檚 date with destiny.

鈥淚t was a game of two different philosophies,鈥� Wilson continued. 鈥淭hey (Brentford) play quite direct, we like to play football. Sometimes things don鈥檛 match, they don鈥檛 align. It was going to take something unusual to break the deadlock. We had to find a way to win and we did.

鈥淲e had to put an end to the run we鈥檇 been on. And now we can focus on the one that everyone else is excited about 鈥� the Champions League.

鈥淏ut to remain a Champions League club, you have to win in the Premier League. That is our foundation upon which we build. We had to win to climb back up the league. After a few defeats you start to slip. It is only early, but you don鈥檛 want to be cut adrift from those places.鈥�

Now Howe and his team must navigate the first step in what many are calling this year鈥檚 鈥済roup of death,鈥� also featuring Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund.

鈥淏ig result for us. Difficult game today, knew it was going be. Brentford are a difficult team to play against. It wasn鈥檛 a game of many chances didn鈥檛 think, thankfully we got the important goal we needed,鈥� said Howe.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we were in full rhythm today but that鈥檚 what Brentford do, they disrupt you. It was a bitty game for us, we had to set-pieces right, crosses right and defensively I was very pleased with us today.鈥�

While Newcastle got back to winning ways, there was a shock in Serie A, as last season鈥檚 beaten Champions League finalists Inter Milan beat their city rivals 鈥� the seven-time kings of Europe 鈥� AC Milan 5-1.

Reacting to that, Howe said: 鈥淚鈥檝e just heard, I don鈥檛 know whether that鈥檚 a good thing for us or not. I need to watch that game and analyze it and we鈥檒l try to give a good performance.鈥�