What a truly mental game of football we just witnessed at St James’ Park. 3-1 down with 13 minutes to go, seven goals, three freak injuries, two penalties and one red card. But most importantly, three huge points in our push for Europe.
Harvey Barnes won us the game with two late strikes, Anthony Gordon won two penalties and the brilliant Alexander Isak stepped up to convert both, but I thought youngsters Lewis Hall and Elliot Anderson were superb.
Hall came on at left-back after Livramento’s injury and he immediately took the game by the scruff of the neck. He was the only player in black and white to stop the impressive Kudus, was strong in the tackle, showed quality on the ball, made some lovely runs and was assertive and positive in everything he did.
Considering his age, the state of the game when he came on and his lack of minutes this season, it was such an encouraging cameo and a sign of his improvement. He looked like a player with a point to prove and fire in his belly after two assists for England’s U20s earlier in the week.
Anderson had a similar impact. Joe Willock looked rusty and a little flat, but Anderson injected some life into the side. He was aggressive, showed brilliant feet as he danced in between Claret shirts and had real purpose about his play.
His season has been hampered by a back injury that kept him out of the final few months of 2023 and the first few weeks of 2024, but his versatility, drive and dynamism can give us something different over the run in.
With Livramento off injured and Gordon suspended, it bodes well to see Hall, Anderson and Barnes look so sharp ahead of Tuesday night’s clash with Everton at St James’ Park.
