Toon Takeaways: Newcastle United vs. Southampton

Newcastle United played to a draw with Southampton today at St. Mary’s Stadium.

Everything finished even, as Newcastle United and Southampton each scored twice earlier Sunday. Isaac Hayden and Ayoze Perez were the goal scorers for the Toon, while Manolo Gabbiadini knocked home a brace for the Saints.

Top Toons

Ayoze Perez: Work rate, work rate, work rate. Perez was the Energizer Bunny for Newcastle today. He pressured the Southampton keeper into a poor touches and his hustle played a part in both goals. On the first, he battled to the ground, barely tapping the ball to a teammate, which started the action leading to Hayden’s goal. The second, he kept pushing after his shot was saved and powered home the rebound. I’ll be the first to admit how poor I believe he’s been this season, but he was a vital piece today.

Jamaal Lascelles: The skipper dominated the air in the box for Newcastle United. He made countless clearances and helped neutralize crosses from the Southampton attack.

Isaac Hayden: Getting a surprise start over fan favorite Mikel Merino, Hayden made the most of his chance. He scored his first ever Premier League goal on a quality strike to give Newcastle United the lead. Hayden also made a vital block as Shane Long got into an attacking position in the first half.

Mediocre Magpies

Rob Elliot: His decision making was questionable at times this match. He came out to punch a ball, but couldn’t get there, giving Southampton a header on an open net. Thankfully, it went wide. The first goal for the Saints was not unstoppable and he also couldn’t come up with a big save on the penalty by Gabbiadini.

Joselu: While he didn’t miss any sitters today, the Newcastle striker was largely a non factor. He didn’t force the action in the attack and didn’t come up with any great chances.

Florian Lejeune: He played a decent match for the most part, but conceded the penalty was poor. It was an unnecessary tackle to begin with and remarkably more reckless than it needed to be.

Quick Kicks

More from Newcastle Toons

-Watching Jonjo Shelvey curl the ball out to the wings is a thing of beauty.

-DeAndre Yedlin’s first yellow was for arguing with the referee according to the broadcast and he absolutely should have been sent off for a challenge in the second half.

-Javier Manquillo is quicker than I thought. He made a remarkable run late in the match, but couldn’t find a pass or shot before he was dispossessed.

-Nice to see Jacob Murphy get a chance to play. It wasn’t a lengthy or meaningful shift, but getting him match action is important for his development.

-Christian Atsu looked healthy after withdrawing from Ghanaian national team with a knee injury. His pace is so vital to this club and their counter attacking capabilities.

What’s Next?

Newcastle United will host Crystal Palace, coming off a big win over Chelsea, on Saturday. Palace had not scored in their seven matches before the win over the Blues. They sit last on the table and have conceded a league high 18 goals.