Newcastle United began the 2018-19 Premier League campaign with a loss at home to Tottenham.
The headline for this article should read “draw” instead of “loss” as Newcastle United deserved at least a point against Tottenham. The Magpies and Spurs traded goals early on and Tottenham were able to hang on for a 2-1 victory at St. James’ Park.
The first half was comprised of three goals and a dominant performance from the London-based opponents. The second half consisted of two shots off the post and bar for Newcastle as they failed to find the equalizing goal. There were plenty of positives and negatives in this match. With that being said, here are five things we learned from yesterday’s loss to Tottenham.
Defensive Miscommunication
Newcastle’s entire defensive unit looked out of sync for most of the match yesterday. Last season, the Magpies gained a reputation for their ability to frustrate opponents in the penalty area. Against Tottenham, however, that reputation was dismissed as poor marking in the box enabled Tottenham to score two headers from just a few feet away.
The defense improved in the second half, but Martin Dubravka was essentially helpless in the first 20 minutes of the match. Going forward, Newcastle must remain focused and try to replicate the identity they formed last term.
Effective Wing Play
A major positive from the match against Tottenham was Newcastle’s brilliant wing play. Matt Ritchie and Kenedy were top performers for the Magpies yesterday with their impressive dribbling and good vision.
Kenedy had a few scoring opportunities after he cut into the box, but Hugo Lloris stepped up to the plate and made some big saves. Ritchie was a key contributor on offense as he created space on the wing to deliver to a quick cross which turned into an assist for Joselu in the first half. If the duo can maintain this form, Newcastle will be in good hands.
Unforced Errors
Offensively, Newcastle certainly deserved at least one point in this hard-fought match, but the defensive unit could have made matters worse for the Magpies. Being down 2-1, Newcastle almost created an even greater disparity with some ill-advised passing in the back.
Signs of rust from preseason seemed to carry over into opening day. Newcastle must brush up on this fundamental skill before they face other elite clubs in the near future.
Debuts: Rondon and Muto
The new attacking duo of Salomon Rondon and Yoshinori Muto made their Newcastle debuts yesterday. Rondon replaced Joselu in the 60th minute while Muto replaced Ayoze Perez 20 minutes later. For the time that they were on the pitch, Rondon and Muto both impressed supporters with their level of urgency and willingness to attack.
Joselu claimed the sole goal for Newcastle, but that was all he did. Rondon should clearly be the primary striking option for Newcastle as he challenged Tottenham’s defenders and almost scored a goal. Muto looked like he was in great shape and Perez should be worried about losing his role as a starter to the Japanese international.
Offensive Efficiency
Overall, Newcastle only managed to score one goal on opening day, but the offense looked promising. The Magpies had 15 shot attempts and completed 386 passes against a stout Tottenham defense. These two statistics are important as they highlight that Newcastle were not afraid to attack a superior opponent.
Furthermore, the completion of just under 400 passes shows that Newcastle established a good passing rhythm. If Newcastle can replicate this passing performance against Cardiff City next weekend, the Magpies should walk away with three points.