3 good, 2 bad from Newcastle’s 4-3 win over Leeds

Newcastle United won a Premier League classic 4-3 on Wednesday evening. Before the game St James’ Park came together to offer its best wishes to Kevin Keegan, who it was confirmed before the game, has been diagnosed with cancer. Get well soon, King Kev.

In a mad (but ultimately exciting game) United came from behind three times to snatch a huge win which has lifted us to the dizzy heights of sixth place. The seven goals were shared between a Harvey Barnes brace, a Bruno penalty, a Joelinton header: a Brandon Aaronson brace and a Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty.

Here are three good and two bad things from the game:

Good: Coming from behind to win, three times

Leeds had the better of the first half, but every time it looked like Leeds had gotten the better of us with either a decent strike or a sucker punch or some generous refereeing; the lads dug deep and found a way back into the game.

Howe was decisive at half time by hooking Thiaw (who was having a stinker) and a bang out of form Sandro Tonali and the changes gave the side greater impetus in a much improved second half.

United finally exorcising some demons by coming from behind to win a game of football for the first time this season is a huge moment (and throw in that it happened three times) and we can only hope that this is a turning point for this side’s mentality.

Bad: Thiaw’s horror show

For a lad who has been nothing short of a massive success coming into the side from Serie A, Malick Thiaw had a game to forget. After his early yellow card, it was his error that led to Leeds’ opener, and he then made an absolutely braindead decision (despite a slight push) to inexplicably handle the ball to concede a late penalty in first half stoppage time.

The lad is allowed an off day, but we will need him to recover quickly especially with Schar going off with a nasty looking injury which leaves us with just two fit centre backs with the schedule from hell upcoming.

Good: Harvey Barnes scores goals

Leeds fans are probably sick of the sight of Harvey Barnes as he netted his seventh and eighth goals against them (the most he has scored against one particular side), and it was a real masterclass from the lad.

He played on the right; he played on the left, and he looked to really have the bit between his teeth, perhaps wanting to prove the point that he shouldn’t be the one who drops in and out of the side. He chased back well too and was doing so many of the things he is accused of not doing on a regular basis.

On this form he deserves to be starting week in week out and that late winning moment was a huge cathartic moment that the team and fans got to share, and it’s not the first time Barnes has done this in Black and White, and here’s to many more.

Bad: Another stinking refereeing performance

Wednesday saw another Premier League game that looked like it was officiated by a competition winner. Perhaps the only decision he got right on the night was the Joelinton non-penalty (although I’m not sure it was a dive either).

I’m exaggerating of course, because the Thiaw penalty was probably the right decision too, but if you want a ref to allow a ridiculous amount of time wasting, give nonsense decisions, and allow assorted away team shenanigans repeatedly, Michael Salsbury is your man.

Leeds were aggrieved with the penalty he awarded United too, and a positive spin could be that he played his part in an absolute classic, but the quality of refs in this league is so dismal that something really needs to change moving forward.

Good: Late, late winner Big Joe back to his best 

United’s late winner in the 102nd minute is the latest ever Premier League history and it was a huge relief to finally come out on the right side of some extra late chaos for once. We are often on the other side of these sorts of results, and you could feel that in the emotion that poured down from the stands after Barnes’ winner.

Joelinton was also on one on the night. He was fiery (almost to a fault), he’s using the ball so much better and he’s now bagged goals in two of our last three. It looks like his extended rest has allowed him to rediscover himself, although he still sometimes struggle to progress the ball, as was evidenced by the time he won the ball high in Leeds’s final third, only to totally fluff the simple pass through to Gordon. But a fired up Joelinton is a handful, and he has more than played his part in the last two big wins.

So, that’s three wins in a row for the first time this season and with Wolves up next in the league, we have a real chance to use the momentum from the pandemonium of the night to propel us forward onto bigger and better things this season.

Keep the faith. HWTL