Newcastle confirmed third place in the Premier League heading into the World Cup break after a Joe Willock stunner secured a 1-0 victory for the Toon over an out of form Chelsea side.
There were few chances to be had between either side, with both teams struggling to find space in the penalty box, but a moment of magic from last week’s goalscorer was enough to separate the two.
Despite being below our best, we looked the better side and proved once again that we can win ugly if needed, pulling off our fifth straight Premier League win and yet another clean sheet as Graham Potter’s side found no way through our black and white wall.
Howe made two changes from our 4-1 win over Southampton last Sunday, as Chris Wood came in for Callum Wilson – who was only fit enough for the bench after training on his own all week – and Joelinton replaced Jacob Murphy on the left side of our attack.
Chelsea handed a debut to 18-year-old Lewis Hall and there was no Sterling, Aubameyang, Silva, Havertz or Cucurella in their starting 11.
It was a disjoined start to the first half. Fabian Schar went down with a head injury after giving away an early foul and Ruben Loftus-Cheek also pulled up moments later, seeing Brazil international Thiago Silva replace the latter just six minutes in.
We were pressing well and looked bang up for it in that sense, although we hadn’t mustered our first shot until a lovely run from Willock ended up with Almiron; who blasted a left-footed volley over the bar just after the 15 minute mark.
Wood wasn’t offering enough. He was joining the press, but his hold up play needed to be better, with too many simple balls bouncing off the big Kiwi as neither side really asserted their dominance on a game that felt there to be won.
Broja had the first effort on goals just before the half hour mark, although that was easily claimed by Pope before Jorginho became the first player to go into the book after a blatant trip on Bruno. Botman then made a vital interception five minutes later, flicking a cross destined for Broja out for a corner just as Chelsea threatened to create the game’s biggest opening.
There was a penalty shout for Newcastle just before the break as Burn’s low cut back struck Chalobah’s arm, but the referee waved it away and VAR did too. The resultant corner was header way over and the half-time whistle went. 0-0.
The first chance of the half fell to Newcastle five minutes in as a looping cross was headed back towards the penalty spot by Joelinton, but Bruno’s effort was saved well from Mendy and the rebounded shot from Longstaff was blocked by the Chelsea defence.
We started to pile on the pressure nearly 15 minutes into the second period with a delightful cross from Willock down the left-wing which was put behind for a corner with some last ditch defending from Chelsea.
Chelsea has their first chance of the half 20 minutes in as Trippier gave the ball away poorly in the box, leaving Gallagher open to take a shot that was well saved by Pope and put out for a corner.
The Toon finally broke the deadlock midway through the half with a beautiful ball over the top from Joelinton which reached the stride of Almiron who did brilliantly to cut inside and dribble past Koulibaly before the ball was taken off him by Willock and struck perfectly into the top right corner.
Potter, clearly unhappy with his sides performance so far, made three big changes with less than 20 minutes to go – Ziyech, Cucurella and Havertz all came on for the Blues.
Newcastle first change of the evening came up too as Chris Wood made way for the in-form and World Cup blind Callum Wilson after 75 minutes.
With 10 minutes left to go in the game, Newcastle had started to drop deeper and deeper, inviting pressure from the Chelsea forward line but, again, the visitors struggled to create anything concrete.
Sven Botman was forced off with an injury and replaced by Matt Targett on the 86th minute after he received treatment multiple times, shifting Dan Burn into the other centre-half position.
Despite their best efforts, we remained resilient defensively and the away side failed to even register a single shot on target following Willock’s screamer.
The result makes it five victories in a row for Eddie Howe’s high-flying Magpies and a European push could well be on the cards if we can keep this kind of form up heading into the new year.
Next up, a World Cup break, training camp in Saudi and return to action a Leicester in six weeks time!
STARTING XI: Pope – Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn – Bruno, Longstaff, Willock – Almiron, Wood, Joelinton
SUBS: Darlow, Lascelles, Shelvey, Wilson, Saint-Maximin, Targett, Manquillo, Murphy, Anderson.
AFC Wimbledon are promoting the England wales game with the Vinnie Jones – Gazza Photo
PremAndUp(Quote)
I don’t know if anybody has ever watched Toom Review on you tube. You probably shouldnt. The stats guy is pretty good and the fat guy from Cov is funny but Mumbly. The host is very nasty if anybody says a word against him.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Prem: Vinnie was on a US cop show over here where he was playing an Albanian mobster who was secretly gay and spoke in an Albanian accent. He did a really good job actually.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
He was a better footballer than he was given credit for
PremAndUp(Quote)
Not sure if Gazza’s balls would be that interested in Vinnie Jones’ current acting ability.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
That’s more like it. I thought we would win all 3 games with the squad we have. Southgate sometimes gets timid and that translates to the players. We should play like lions in every game and not like mice.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sort of works out for me. The country I love and my adopted country look like they are both going through.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It would have been a travesty not to win this **** group with the players England have.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I am watching the USA game now. This is now more like what I see in the qualifiers. Boring, stodgy cr@p.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Great win for England and good to see Trippier and Wilson get on. First half was rubbish, but it got lively in the second.
Gilly Toon(Quote)
I know it’s a toon fan’s perspective but Wilson was more affective in the time he played today than Kane was today & against the USA.
Credit where it’s due – Stones & Maguire have been very good as a partnership – and I gave to say Henderson was excellent tonight. I like Mount but the role Henderson takes up for England is instrumental.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Foden & Rashford were so much better than Sterling & Saka. I do like Saka – but we were just a different attacking threat with Foden & Rashford.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Can’t really complain that much. I thought Southgate paid the US too much respect but we have played well in the other games. He hasnt taken the leash off but has loosened it a bit.
I was a bit mad at how we sat back as much against a very average US team. I am over it now though:)
We should beat Senegal as they dont have their best player.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Can I get excited? I don’t know. We have played 1 bad game, but that is the way football is. You don’t dominate every game. At least we are not playing Bruce-ball. C’mon Gareth, show us what you are made of!!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I don’t know if I’m giving Southgate too much credit here but watching the game last night I wondered if the USA game was a tactical one.
With the win against Iran & a big goal difference in the bag, was the USA game a play for the draw – but play a certain way in preparation for games to come.
We played the high press against Iran & Wales but played a very different way against USA – maybe we were just sh!te – but maybe, some thought went into it & it was deliberate 🤷🏼♂️.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Well it looks like we are close to signing another young talent in Harrison Ashby for RB.
If we manage to get him from WHU that’s an excellent signing imo.
Him & Kuol shows we are building strong for the future & this isn’t just ‘throw a bunch of money at it’ project.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Great win last night, first half was pretty boring mind. Rashfords first was brilliant .
kimtoon(Quote)
It did seem deliberate to contain against US but why is the question as England are easily better than all of them
Watched the wales game on replay ( work is a b1tch 🤣)
Having brought in foden and rashford yesterday to wide acclaim from media “experts” southgate’ll take a kicking if he reverts to caution.
Englands strength is attacking play so hopefully they’ll get after senegal who are not as good as England
GoWest!Mag(Quote)
Watching France v Tunisia and gutted Mbappe isn’t playing – he’s my golden boot bet 🤞🏼.
But a player standing out again is the lad Laidouni in Tunisias midfield. Big scary looking lad but he can play football to be fair.
Sharpy17(Quote)
GoWest – I think it was with other teams in mind.
Southgate didn’t get much time with the players before the tournament started to work on tactics and game plans.
Maybe he saw something in the way the USA play that is similar to one of the other teams we may face in the last 16 and used the USA game as almost a friendly or practice match for the players to work on 1 or 2 things?!.
It may also be that I’m giving too much credit coz he didn’t really change much from the Iran game – certainly not personnel wise at least.
Alternatively, maybe there was a game plan but the players didn’t execute it particularly well.
I will give credit to Southgate for making the change last night though. Swapping Foden & Rashford for the 2nd half clearly made a difference.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I always get myself worked up about Managers, whether it be NUFC or England.
C’mon man, NUFC and England hired both Big Fat Sam and McClaren!!!
Mr Roy was a total knacker at the WC with his daytrip on a Seine cruise before the Iceland game. We, NUFC, hired both Pards and the pickled walnut with hair (Ugly John Carver). I think I have a right to worry about Manager recruitment 🙂
Totally happy with Eddie though. I am not sure if he could have done a better job. He performed a miracle to keep us up and we are playing the best style of football since Keegan. And, it will only get better as ASM and Isak are about to come back.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I have spent years on here b!tching and moaning about our Managers. From Pards to Ugly John and Rafa to a lesser extent. I knew Bruce would get us relegated when his luck eventually ran out.
I cannot think of a bad thing to say about Eddie Howe. Nothing!!!
I think he has been absolutely brilliant. It feels so good not to have to moan about an NUFC manager. He will make the odd mistake, everybody does. And Mandy and Co seem like they have set him up for success.
Such a weird feeling to not really worry about our Manager. Especially after Brucie!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Well done the Aussies. I wouldnt have been bothered either way as I was in Copenhagen a month ago and the people there were fantastic. Just great.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It is 4am in the morning in Sydney right now and they are all in pubs and beer gardens going nuts 🙂 They just showed it on US TV.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yeah huge congrats to the Aussies – 4 points from that group is a massive achievement!!.
I bet our Aussie brethren celebrate hard tonight 🍺🍺🍺
Sharpy17(Quote)
My mistake – the Aussies got 6 points not just 4. Brilliant stuff.
Sharpy17(Quote)
And they have animals that dont make any sense. Kangaroos! Koala Bears? They just sit in trees and eat Eucalyptus leaves all day. Dont they have a duck billed platypus as well? When they brought one to England they though it was made up and stuffed from parts of other animals.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It is actually pretty funny to me.
People thought they put a duck bill on a beaver and attached fish-like feet and brought it to the British Museum. It is the strangest creature I have ever seen apart from Octopuses, Camels and Elephants which come very close. Chameleons, of course!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And the Orange Ape Donald Trump. He has to rank up with the strangest creature ever
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Not to mention marsupial is an outstanding word to describe them as a group
and
is the plural of octopus “octopi” or is that a way to say 25.136😉
GoWest!Mag(Quote)
Yup, Southgate seems planful (some might say painful 🤣🤣) in his approach to tournaments so thinking about the last 16 and 1/4s after Iran game sounds like him
GoWest!Mag(Quote)
Go West. I didnt want to seem like a smart @rse by saying Octopi. I went more James Bond. That was Roger Moore but I wish it was Sean Connery so I could say “Octopushy, Ms Moneypenny”.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sorry, “Mish” Moneypenny in his later years.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I forgot about one of the greatest Aussies of all time – BRETT LEE.
Piers Morgan, a Sunday League cricketer challenged him to a session in the nets. Bold Piers thought he could deal with one of the fastest bowlers ever. It is on Youtube.
Brett just smashed him to bits. Bowling at his ribs and back at 100 MPH and then knocking over the stumpts at will.
I was pretty good at cricket, but going against Brett Lee? I dont think so!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
RIP Chrissie McVie of fleetwood mac.
Outstanding singer /songwriter in a fab band
GoWest!Mag(Quote)
😔😔😔😔😔😔
Gilly Toon(Quote)
I first heard her in Chicken Shack, her version of ‘I’d rather go blind’
Loved the penguin era FM from Future games to Heros
PremAndUp(Quote)
Devastating news about Christine McVie.
Big Fleetwood Mac fans the Sharpys. Got to see them Live albeit without Stevie Nicks like.
The original Songbird – RIP 😢
Sharpy17(Quote)
Germany out 😱😱. Belgium out😱😱. I didn’t watch the Japan game! Was the ball out for their goal… 🤷🏻♂️ Or is it karma
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Well, I said it before the games started but England had the easiest group by far and the Germans had the group of death. They have some really good players so I still dont understand how they went out.
Belgium??? That has to be on Roberto Martinez. You have all of those good players and mess up this early!!! You would think they would get QFs minimum.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I am still a bit shocked at how badly England played against the US.
The US are basically a bunch of 20 year old college kids and Christian Pulisic. They are building for the 2026 WC which is in North America and Mexico.
But, we are through, and Senegal are beatable.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
England’s chances are really difficult to predict. We have good attacking players but Southgate is usually so timid. Are you a mouse or a lion Gareth? I think you are a mouse so I dont think we will win this! We have the players though.
Cant tell anything from the group because we were in the easiest group by far.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The characteristic of Southgate’s career as England Manager is that he has been handed easy groups. Qualifying and in tournaments. Anybody can bully San Moreno or Malta who are part timers.
He let a pretty average Croatia team beat us and Italy didnt even qualify for the WC.
I dont trust Southgate!!!!!!!!!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Plus, we basically had home games at the Euros.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
This is not really b!tching because I want England to do well, I really do. But Gareth Southgate has led such a charmed life as England Manager that a monkey with a keyboard or even Steve Bruce might have done as well. MAYBE NOT STEVE BRUCE!
Let me explain. Here are the qualification teams and the group teams he has faced.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
World Cup 2018:
Qualifying:
Slovakie
Scotland
Slovenia
Lithuania
Malta
Group Stage
Belgium
Tunisia
Panama
Remember the top 2 go through and England DID lose to Belgium.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Euros 2020
Qualifying
Czechs
Kosovo
Bulgaria
Montenegro
Group Stage
Coatia
Czeks
Scotland
C’mon. If you dont make it to the knockout stage with these opponents then you are either a moron or Steve Bruce.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Is this a set up by FIFA to keep Gareth in his job? Next, the 2022 World Cup! Is there a conspiracy here?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
2022 World Cup
Qualifying
Poland
Albania
Hungary
Andorra
San Marino
Group
Iran
Wales
USA
Eric Sykes(Quote)
San Marino has a population of 33,562
Andorra has a population of 79.034
You would struggle to put together a pub team of fit males between 20 and 30 from both “countries” combined. They are not even countries, they are Principalities. But that was who Gareth was handed!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Croatia C/H is one of the best i have ever seen for a long long time hes only 20yrs old,talk is a PL club is going to sign him for 80mil wish it was the toon
icedog(Quote)
Ice – is that the lad with the face mask?
He is outstanding and can’t believe he’s only 20 years old!!.
Apparently Chelsea are sniffing round him – but imagine him alongside Botman?!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Ice – I like the young Croatian LB as well Sosa.
I think we’ve been linked with him too, though so have Arsenal so it may just be paper talk to be fair.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I think it is pretty funny on here that nobody argues. They state their opinions and stand back – unlike the Harrison blog!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Aye. Mate that was him. Sosa would be a good bye too
Icedog(Quote)
Gilly, I saw most of the Japan game and it did indeed look as though the ball had gone out before their second goal. Not sure what VAR was seeing tbh.
So how will we cope against the African champions ? battle of the lions.
kimtoon(Quote)
Senegal will be very tough! Many of them play in the premier league. If Southgate plays defensive we will be punished I think. And if we get through, it’s France most likely. Oh dear!
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Germany’s problem was losing to Japan and draw against Spain. They cannot complain about the Japanese goal vs Spain. It looks like the whole ball did not cross the line, it was marginal, but if it was for a goal it would be disallowed. 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
Gilly Toon(Quote)
I know he won’t but I’d drop Kane for this one and play Rashford through the middle as we need pace and players running in behind their defence – not dropping into midfield for the ball.
I’d have Rashford in the middle & Foden & Saka either side of him.
Sharpy17(Quote)
beautiful team goal from the dutch there
kimtoon(Quote)
totally agree mate.
kimtoon(Quote)
Ooh my, what a goal that was .. that’s a lesson in how to overcome the high press. Skill and assured patience with the ball initially and then the change of pace to attack with intent once they saw the opportunity.
Everything was intended.
Fantastic football and best goal of tournament so far
GoWest!Mag(Quote)
Another class goal
kimtoon(Quote)
Go West, agree the US were lively at the start but the Dutch just waited until the right moment and what abrilliant team goal it was.
Class from the Dutch for both goals, rude awakening for the US.
kimtoon(Quote)
Long time fan of the Dutch team .. kung fu assassins aside .. and loved watching them from the cruyff teams, through van bhasten, rijkaard and gullitt to bergkamp. I still have my ‘78 Rudy Krol shirt from watching him destroy nufc in the uefa cup
Was interested in this team as they didn’t take botman who I rate highly so thought they might be good
They’ve been a bit meh so far but this might be them waking up.
It’s a bit tropish to say it’s only USA as they are not too bad and let’s face it were better than England
GoWest!Mag(Quote)
Good game that
kimtoon(Quote)
Go West, always been a big Italy fan myself, in particular Pirlo, what a player he was.
kimtoon(Quote)
How about Del Piero Kimtoon. What a player he was.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, he was indeed but Pirlo was something else a true regista , I know it’s less fashionable nowadays but it was an art form and he was imo the master.
kimtoon(Quote)
So the references to fave teams got me reminiscing of fave WC moments
Anyone interested ??
I’ll go with my top three
3: Cruyff defining “his” turn in ‘74 against W Germany
2: Beckham smashing that ‘02 pen against Argentina
1: Paolo Rossi ‘82 hat trick against Brazil
GoWest!Mag(Quote)
GO WEST
3. Micheal Owen goal v Argentina
2. Gordon Banks save from Pele in Mexico WC
1. Maradona’s second goal v England ( a thing of beauty )
kimtoon(Quote)
Rattin’s sending off v England 66. Only cause I was there
PremAndUp(Quote)
This game today is hard to predict, but I think the fact Sadio Mane is out gives England the edge. I think it will go to extra time and England have the better subs. I would be sh!tting myself if I was the opposition and saw Foden, Saka, Callum, Grealish and a revived Rashford warming up on 80 mins.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
KIM pirlo was the greatest midfielder i have seen,loved him.you have great taste mate lol
KIM PI
icedog(Quote)
Ice, his long range passing was sublime, they keep likening other and modern players to him but they can’t hold a candle to him. His free kicks were ace too.
kimtoon(Quote)