Before yesterday Newcastle had not beaten Liverpool in the last sixteen league games. Now seventeen league games.
When you watch Ngumoha’s goal I’m impressed that he had the confidence to hit it across to the keepers left instead of to the keepers right when it looked a lot easier to get it on target and score
I genuinely thought we were going to lose, ultimate humiliation. So it was all the more sweeter when Rio pinged that in
Will be a good game, Arsenal haven't been all that either and now without a couple of key players so I think we'll fancy it.
Wirtz seems to have struggled with the pace of the Prem, but I think he will come good. Grav was similar in his first few games for us as it is a lot faster in the Prem than any other European leagues
The ball was only in play for 40.8% of the game, the lowest % in a PL game since 2010, 40% - Stoke v Blackburn.
Arsenal mainly score from open play vis Sakha or Odergard and both will probably miss this game. I expect them to come to defend then try and score from a corner/set piece, which they are good at. If we score first and they have to come at us we can then have further joy on the break. The worst case scenario is if they score first then just put 10 men behind the ball and we have to break them down. Of course if we go 2 up we will than stop playing until it goes to 2-2
Can't call this. Our issue on set piece seems to be where to set the line up. We used to just catch sides with offside on frees but we rarely do that under slot. Corners are not awful. The two goals were a long throw cleared then then allowed back in as a cross. We are scrambling to reset and short of bodies by the look of it. The second one was ****e. Sky tore it apart last night. It was obviously cooked up on the fly but we first didn't deal with burn but second didn't track the runners off him. We were better off back and let it come in as anything long is then gone out and you can at least jump with burn without also back pedalling. Anyway. Vvd should have automatically taken burn and smashed the guy. Konate wasnt smashing anyone
Its also about intensity. Arsenal will have all the options but are really narrow. If we can get both gravenberch and mcallister in the middle and somehow get wirtz actually on the ball rather than running about trying to help without it then we have a chance Going to be tough though. We need anfield to help us big time. But look, we know last year it was a dog fight the one time it actually mattered so our spine of team.meeds to be strong. Ekitike and wittz got a real wake up to English football last night. They need to take that on board for this one.
One of the tougher away games of the year is over. However we have not lost at st James park since 2015 so 10 years now. We drew last year with abysmal defending so this is better result for slot.
The last 4 games at anfield have been draws. 0-0 2-2 1-1 2-2 Not brilliant. But the toughest home game for us l, even more than city imo.
Just going back to that winning goal (having watched it again now the emotion as died down) and I've got to say, it was a fabulous team goal. Worked in tight areas in midfield to develop a bit of space of the right and create the opportunity, all one touch passing too. Lovely team goal
With corners, we zonal mark. We ask the smaller lads to mark but often these 1v1's are very one sided. Last year, we had AMC and Jota marking Burns, yesterday it was Salah. They're just there to be a nuisance to give VVD, Konate, etc a better chance of getting there first. Unfortunately, this means the opposition player occasionally gets a free run to attack the ball because they've shrugged off our "midget marker"
Saka supposed to be out until September with a hamstring injury and Odagard has a shoulder injury. Maybe they will recover, but Saka is the one most likely to miss the game.
