Newcastle United were eight minutes away from stealing all three points in a close match against Watford that ended 1-1.
Newcastle United got off to a slow start against Watford, but boy oh boy did they turn things around in the middle of the first half. The Magpies were becoming too difficult for the Hornets to handle after Salomon Rondon’s goal, but Watford found life at the very end of the match to salvage a point at home.
Compared to some of their recent performances, Newcastle looked great on and off the ball at Vicarage Road and Rafa Benitez will surely see this result as two points dropped. Several observations were made during this match, but here are three key things we learned yesterday.
In-form Rondon
Rondon is in top form and every goal he scores for Newcastle leads to positive results. As mentioned earlier, the Magpies spend the first 25 minutes of the match chasing the ball, but Rondon’s aerial abilities enabled Newcastle to score on their first attempt at goal. The Venezuelan striker is doing everything a true number nine should be doing every time they are on the field.
The fact that he buried his header while surrounded by two defenders at the back post is amazing. Not many players can score in those circumstances and the fact that he can shows that he is worth every penny for a permanent contract in January.
Atsu the Playmaker
With Ki Sung-yueng back in South Korea and Jonjo Shelvey not fit enough to start a match, someone needed to step up for Newcastle and Christian Atsu took on that role yesterday. On at least five occasions, Atsu looked like Ronaldinho the way he turned away from defenders, moved the ball forward with pace and picked out open teammates.
Atsu’s performance is what made Newcastle so competitive against Watford and his pass to Matt Ritchie down the flank is what led to Rondon’s goal in the 29th minute. If Atsu keeps playing this way, two things will happen. Firstly, Newcastle will have a chance to get points in most matches. Secondly, Kenedy’s time will be up on Tyneside in the second week of May.
One Key Mistake
I was ready to begin drafting an article that praised Newcastle’s back-line for their solidity against a top ten team on the road until Abdoulaye Doucoure scored in the 82nd minute. The fact that he scored does not stop me from praising Newcastle’s defenders, but the way he scored is what really ticks me and every other supporter off.
Just when everything was looking great, the Magpies had to forget how to mark players in the penalty area, once again. This issue of poor marking keeps hurting Newcastle and as a result they are dropping points in crucial matches. With Manchester United being the next opponent, Newcastle must stay focused and compact in the back.