Alexander Isak, Jamaal Lascelles, Joelinton, and Anthony Gordon scored as Newcastle United defeated Chelsea 4-1 on Saturday afternoon at St. James’ Park to go back on track.
Here are the main lessons our writer Jordan Cronin learned from the win:
Eddie Howe fielded a quality starting lineup, and the outcome eventually reflected that, but all you had to do was glance down the Magpies’ bench to be brutally reminded of the ongoing injury issue.
Aside from Emil Krafth’s illness, Joe Willock was United’s most recent casualty. Howe’s nine-man bench included three goalkeepers, four under-21 players, and the seasoned pair of Matt Ritchie and Paul Dummett.
Fortunately, the outcome was decided at the hour mark, and the bench had no further impact on the outcome of the game. Rather, Howe utilized his substitutes to give players like Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak a break in the last minutes, which allowed Amadou Diallo, Michael Ndiweni, and Alex Murphy to make their Premier League debuts.
The lengthy list of absences is still a huge cause for concern going forward because to the demanding schedule, but at least some people were able to forget about Saturday’s win over Chelsea—something that wasn’t the case against Bournemouth the previous time around.
Lewis Miley is only 17 years old, which is almost unbelievable. The youthful midfielder stole the show on his Premier League debut at St. James’ Park, demonstrating even more why some in the background think he’s the “next big thing.”
Just getting the assist on Isak’s first goal was a pleasure. With half the stadium encouraging him to shoot, Miley might have been forgiven for taking the shot on himself, but kudos to his temperament and maturity for picking out the Swede for his eighth goal of the season.
During his press conference after the game, Howe stated, “That pass kind of represents him.” It was a fantastic pass and a brilliant finish because he maintained his cool in the face of temptation to shoot when making his home debut at such a young age, but he also managed to spot Alex.
“I thought he did a really nice job overall. He performed a great preseason and played extremely well, and I felt he displayed the poise that we had seen during the preseason. He will be an important player for us in the coming weeks.”
The fact that he outclassed Chelsea’s midfield trio of Conor Gallagher, Enzo Fernandez, and Chimuanya Ugochukwu—who together are valued at £130 million—really enhances his performance.
Bruno Guimaraes deserves special recognition for his ability to bring out the best in everyone. It’s no accident that in the eight league games without him since he made his full debut, Newcastle has not triumphed.
As has been said many times before, Gordon found it difficult to adjust to Howe’s rigorous style in his early months on Tyneside and required a summer reset. The 22-year-old hasn’t looked back since earning player of the tournament and lifting the U21 European Championship with England.
I could talk about Gordon for hours on end, but the evidence speaks for itself when it comes to Chelsea alone. If the former Everton player keeps up this kind of play, Southgate will have no choice but to send Anthony Gordon to Germany the next summer—forget about Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling.
For the Scouse winger, who keeps getting better, that brings his season total to five goals and three assists. Although Everton supporters once joked that his £45 million price tag was too high, those remarks on social media are becoming older.
The 21-year-old, filling in at left-back, moved the ball forward, won tackles, and made good connections with Anthony Gordon down the left wing as he calmly went about his business against the Blues.
Although it was his first Premier League start since moving from Southampton, the 21-year-old has hardly made an error in his two Carabao Cup starts, one Champions League start, and six league substitute appearances.
Reece James, the captain of Chelsea, is thought by many to be Kyle Walker’s long-term replacement at the international level, but Livramento’s speed and ability to advance are too strong to ignore in light of yesterday’s performance.
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