Newcastle United suffered their ninth defeat of the season in devastating fashion yesterday as Wolverhampton scored the winner in stoppage time.
Just when it looked like a ten-man Newcastle United were going to claim a point, Wolverhampton ruined the party with a stoppage time goal to win the match by a score of 2-1. Newcastle deserved at least one point from this match, but instead they were handed their ninth loss of the season and their seventh loss at home.
Many questionable calls, and missed calls, occurred in the second half of this match. The level of intensity from both teams was remarkable, but at times it became too much to handle. Here are three things we learned from yesterday’s loss to Wolves.
Newcastle’s Urgency
Newcastle gave it their all yesterday as every player hustled for 50/50 balls and did their best to make plays happen for others. Despite their disadvantage in the second half, the Magpies continued to press forward and they fearlessly took the game to Wolverhampton.
In total, Newcastle created 12 scoring chances and spread the ball around 425 times. Rafa Benitez did well to motivate his players for battle and his players’ urgency was admirable. If Newcastle play with this type of energy next weekend they will have a good chance at defeating Huddersfield Town.
Basic Mistakes
Both of the goals that Newcastle conceded yesterday came as a result of amateur mistakes in defending. The first goal was unacceptable as Jota easily trapped the ball in the penalty area, had time to move in closer and scored five feet away from Martin Dubravka. The second goal was a bit more complicated due to playing with ten men, but the issue was the same as the first goal – poor marking.
Newcastle have conceded too many easy goals this season and they must resolve this issue immediately. The best remedy for these defensive problems is tight marking. Every defender must stay in front of their man and be quick to block off any rebounding shots.
Mike Dean…
Mike Dean is the most experienced Premier League referee, but his decisions truly decided this match. Heading into yesterday’s match, there was very little to separate both teams, but Dean’s refusal to grant Newcastle a penalty after Ayoze Perez was intentionally elbowed by Willy Boly during a set piece cost the Magpies the match.
With that incident occurring so late in the match, Newcastle could have sealed the deal and claimed all three points. Instead, Perez laid on the field with a bloody nose and his side lost the match soon after that missed call.