Unai Emery might want to question Aston Villa's survival chances the next time he rants. On the back of his claims that they are not good enough for the top five, his players wore the look of title contenders.
Not many will come to St James' Park and win without concession. In fact, they are the first to do so in the Premier League this season. They did it with a performance of authority, flair and, when needed, a mean streak of resistance.
Tired after a Thursday night return from Turkey? You would have thought they'd been there for a cosmetic pick-me-up. They were technically and tactically superior to Newcastle, more mature in their game management.
And, in Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers, they had a pair with whom Eddie Howe's side could not cope. They were the livewires whose current was simply too buzzy for the hosts, who flatlined in game where a win would have returned them to the top five.
Buendia scored a superb first-half opener and, even though it took until the 88th minute for Watkins to make sure of the win, it never really felt in doubt, save for the first few exchanges in which Newcastle began with purpose.
Howe had challenged Sandro Tonali to score more goals this week. The midfielder almost had his first of the season inside 38 seconds. Three of those seconds were spent chopping between three Villa jerseys but his shot, from 10 yards, was kept out by the toes of Emiliano Martinez. It set the tone for a strong home start that would last only 10 minutes. After that, Villa took control.
Buendia and Rogers were too clever, too skilful and too quick for the hosts during a period in which Villa looked like the home side and deservedly took the lead on 19 minutes.
Moments earlier, Newcastle needed Nick Pope to deny Watkins after a Malick Thiaw error allowed the striker a run on goal. But Pope had no answer for Buendia's dipping, devilish strike from 20 yards, for which Rogers was the provider with a first-time tee.
Buendia had started from the left but Emery, identifying a hole between Newcastle's midfield and defence, told his players to populate it. Suddenly, they had three No.10s buzzing around Watkins, Jadon Sancho joining the party from the right.
By comparison, Newcastle's Yoane Wissa was playing as if stranded on an island. What they needed was a Rogers or Buendia. Still, Wissa occasionally had some visitors and Lewis Miley would have equalised with a six-yard header just before the break had Martinez not extended his fingertips to claw clear.
It was the last save he had to make and, despite a raft of home changes in the second half, nothing changed. Villa were the better side and Watkins got his goal when peeling away unmarked to turn in from Lucas Digne's cross.
The victory moves Villa level on points with Manchester City in second, with an 11-point cushion to sixth. They are far better than Emery lets on.