It came in the 90th minute of a game that saw the Magpies triumph over Manchester United despite playing for the entire second half with ten men, and would be worthy a candidate for any Goal of the Season contest.
Breaking onto a ball played down the right touchline from inside his own half, Osula brought the ball under control, burst inside from the flank, ran on the outside of Harry Maguire and curled a quite magnificent finish into the far corner of the net from just outside the box.
It was staggering, quite out of keeping with pretty much everything else Osula has done since joining Newcastle from Sheffield United, and perhaps the moment when the youngster’s Tyneside career really takes off.
It delivered three precious points to a Newcastle side that displayed remarkable reserves of energy and spirit after Jacob Ramsey was controversially sent off for diving on the stroke of half-time.
Leading through Anthony Gordon’s penalty, then pegged back by a Casemiro header, Newcastle deserved to claim all three points thanks to the tenacity and commitment they showed as they shut Manchester United down in the second half. So much for having given up on the Premier League season.
The recalled Aaron Ramsdale was also key to Newcastle’s win, making three excellent saves, the first of which denied Kobbie Mainoo in the first half, with the second and third thwarting Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee late on.
The energy and aggressive high pressing that are features of Newcastle’s play when they are at their best were back in evidence, with Joelinton leading the way at the heart of midfield.
The Magpies pinned Manchester United back from the off, but while they created a succession of half-chances, they failed to hit the target.
Lewis Hall, Anthony Elanga and Sandro Tonali all fired shots either over the bar or wide of the target in the opening quarter-of-an-hour, and while Kieran Trippier hit the woodwork in the first three minutes, the full-back was hardly trying to score with a floated cross that looped over Senne Lammens before flicking off the far post.
Mishit crosses were a feature of Newcastle’s first-half play, particularly from Anthony Elanga, who continues to excite and frustrate in equal measure, while another negative was the ease with which Harry Maguire was able to outmuscle Gordon. Gordon, however, would have his say before the break.
Newcastle’s stand-in centre-forward broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time, although not before the game had tilted Manchester United’s way when the hosts were controversially reduced to ten men.
Manchester United grew in confidence as the first half went on, and Ramsdale made fine saves from both Kobbie Mainoo and Matheus Cunha to keep the scoresheet blank as the clock ticked past the 45-minute mark. Then, all of a sudden, the game exploded into life.
Ramsey had already been booked for pulling back Casemiro when he went down as he tried to go round Lammens on the right of the box. Ramsey appeared to be trying to stop himself going over too theatrically, but there was no contact from the Manchester United goalkeeper and referee Peter Bankes deemed the Magpies midfielder guilty of a dive that resulted in the brandishing of a second yellow card.
Three minutes later, though, and Newcastle’s ten men were celebrating taking the lead. Gordon was tripped by Bruno Fernandes as he broke into the left-hand side of the area, and after dusting himself down, the England international dispatched a clinical penalty past Lammens.
Newcastle needed to take their lead into the break, but instead they were hit by a Manchester United sucker-punch in the ninth minute of first-half stoppage time, with play continuing despite the fourth official having signalled for just three additional minutes. Fernandes whipped in a free-kick from the left, and Casemiro stole between Malick Thiaw and Lewis Hall to glance home a header at the front post.
The half-time break gave Howe chance to engineer a reshuffle – Joe Willock replaced Harvey Barnes to restore Newcastle’s midfield ranks to full strength – and the Magpies’ energy and enthusiasm despite their numerical disadvantage were commendable.
Crucially, Newcastle didn’t just sit in looking to defend in the second half, they still tried to break forward when possible, with Tonali leading the way as he ran himself into the ground at the heart of midfield.
A stretching Gordon stumbled as he tried to reach Tonali’s corner and the ball skewed wide, but Osula had the final say in the final minute.