Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News
Newcastle United secured a significant and spectacular win towards Arsenal at St. James’ Park on Saturday lunchtime to place one other dent within the Gunner’s rapidly fading title problem.
Alexander Isak scored the one purpose with a strong header from contained in the 18-yard-box following a luxurious Anthony Gordon cross from the righthand aspect.
Listed below are our 5 key takeaways from the sport:
An enormous thanks to Chelsea’s youth academy
One key stat that gave an enormous indicator of how good United have been defensively – Arsenal solely had one shot on the right track in the complete recreation. Nonetheless, a shocking, however most welcome addition to that stat was the actual fact the Tino Livramento and Lewis Corridor weren’t dribbled previous as soon as by both winger they confronted.
Corridor pocketed Saka making Arsenal’s Starboy look painfully common as he was decreased to flopping over and feigning fouls all afternoon as he tried to get a bonus – Corridor was having none of it. He gained all his duels, seemed so, so snug in possession, and is rapidly changing into a significant attacking outlet for the Black and Whites.
Livramento (who could’ve been below strain for choice following a superb efficiency from Emil Krafth on Wednesday towards Chelsea within the Cup) turned in his greatest efficiency of the season to date. Once more, he pocketed Martinelli and regardless of backing off just a little an excessive amount of for my liking, in the end, he blocked the cross or shot and marshalled the righthand aspect superbly.
Isak Stats
Alexander Isak has now been concerned in 18 objectives in his final 17 appearances at St. James’ Park, and solely Haaland Palmer have scored extra Premier League objectives than the Swede this calendar yr. His general document for United is now 34 objectives in 60 video games. If Newcastle have been to enhance, Isak had to enhance, and he has now scored in three video games in a row.
The lad’s high quality is plain, and he scored an image ebook header from a splendidly whipped cross on the Gallowgate Finish – Shearer would’ve been proud. However greater than that he made the much-vaunted Saliba and Gabriel look silly by discovering the house between them to energy the header house unopposed. Positive centre ahead play throughout.
The Willock and Joelinton Left-hand aspect
An excellent return for the lefthand aspect mixture of 2022/23. Huge Joe and little Joe linked up once more on Saturday and it’s a duo the place opposition assaults go to die.
Joelinton is the disruptor, the lovable fouler and the facility, Joe Willock is the legs, the dynamism and the runner who takes defenders into areas they don’t wish to be.
It was an amazing return to type on Saturday for the pair, but with such a effective footballer as Anthony Gordon’s greatest place being the leftwing will the combo returns for the sport towards Forest? And what does it imply for Harvey Barnes, arguably among the finest performers to date this season.
Refereeing
I’ve written one among these takeaways after each recreation this season and perhaps devoted one or two traces to referees – effectively at the moment I’m entering into on them. What an absolute shambles refereeing is within the Premier League.
They’re merely incompetent, have no idea the foundations, and solely make selections when the gang is baying, or they’ve a tv to again them up. Arsenal bought a free-kick each time they fell to the ground, dedicated seven fouls within the first half with no card – regardless of fixed dissent in direction of officers – and to ebook Tonali for his first foul after ignoring constant fouling from Arsenal’s midfield was felony. As for that good sort out from Willock that someway ended up getting him a yellow? Don’t get me began!
The stats will present that they had 18 fouls to United’s 16 nevertheless it’s the refined management of the sport that comes by way of reserving key people at key instances which actually drives me up the wall. Schar and Tonali have been victims of it on Saturday. They have to do higher.
Momentum beginning to construct?
It’s been an enormous 4 days for the membership. The Chelsea win within the League Cup, and the beneficial house draw within the QF’s, means United are one win away from one other semi-final and the prospect of lastly ending the lengthy trophy drought. And to finish Arsenal’s title problem in November and fully nullify and outclass them on Saturday lunchtime has seen a touch of momentum beginning to construct.
Eddie Howe has manufactured two wins in two troublesome video games and certainly has calmed the waters because the membership sits eighth on the time of writing simply three factors off the highest 4. Huge performances towards glorious (but unsufferable) soccer groups builds confidence and momentum and United have a current completely satisfied searching floor up subsequent within the Metropolis Floor. Win there and the season is effectively and actually again on (if it had ever actually gone away).
