More proof this was Newcastle's biggest miss - Stats from last 15 games say it all
Nick Pope's dislocated shoulder was just one of several major injury setbacks last season, but the stats suggest it was the most devastating.
Following Sunday's 2-1 win at Wolves, Newcastle United have lost just one of the last 15 Premier League games when Pope starts, winning 11 of them.
Covering the start of this season and the periods he was fit to play last term, it's been almost a year since Pope lost a game of Premier League football:
- Wolves 1-2 Newcastle
- Newcastle 2-1 Spurs
- Bournemouth 1-1 Newcastle
- Newcastle 1-0 Southampton
- Brentford 2-4 Newcastle
- Newcastle 1-0 Man Utd
- Newcastle 4-1 Chelsea
- Bournemouth 2-0 Newcastle
- Newcastle 1-0 Arsenal
- Wolves 2-2 Newcastle
- Newcastle 4-0 Crystal Palace
- West Ham 2-2 Newcastle
- Newcastle 2-0 Burnley
- Sheffield Utd 0-8 Newcastle
- Newcastle 1-0 Brentford.
15 games, 11 wins, three draws and one defeat; a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth which came at a time where Bruno, Botman, Burn, Isak, Wilson, Barnes, Tonali and Anderson were all missing. Those 15 games also featured seven clean sheets, where we conceded more than once on four occasions.
In stark contrast, Martin Dubravka's 20 Premier League games last season featured nine defeats and just four clean sheets, with us conceding more than once one 12 occasions.
The fingertip save he made in stoppage time at Wolves summed up his importance to our team. I don't think Dubravka saves that, yet Pope made it look relatively easy and saved us two points as a result. He's a superb shot-stopper and a huge presence in our side.
Pope isn't a ball-playing goalkeeper, but he still brings an air of confidence to the back line in the way he commands his box and acts as a sweeper-keeper.
We are a much better side with a fit Pope between the sticks and our hopes of pushing into the top four might just hinge on him staying fit.
