Newcastle United shocked the Premier League by defeating Manchester City at St. James’ Park.
Newcastle United defied all the odds last night when they took the game to Manchester City and claimed all three points with a 2-1 victory. Goals from Salomon Rondon and Matt Ritchie sealed the deal for the Magpies in front of their home supporters. The defending Premier League champions will be shaking their heads after yesterday’s loss as Liverpool could expand the gap for the title race by seven points with a victory against Leicester City today.
Newcastle did not have a stellar performance, but they fought hard and their unwavering work ethic put them in position to score some crucial goals. Here are some key observations from yesterday’s massive win on Tyneside.
Rondon: Strength and Precision
Newcastle have been spoiled with some great strikers in the past and Rondon is proving that he should be the frontman of the future. The way he plays just causes major problems for any opponent, and his strength was certainly on display against Manchester City. The defending champions truly had no answer for stopping the Venezuelan.
Rondon did well to get on the end of multiple passes and crosses that came his way, he bullied City’s defenders around with ease and, most importantly, he found the back of the net. Rondon knew that his touches on the ball would be severely limited in this match, but he made the most of his opportunities and poked home a crucial goal that shifted the momentum of the match.
Collective Composure
The match got off to the worst possible start for Newcastle when Sergio Aguero scored a goal in the first 24 seconds of action. Yeah… it was bad. However, Newcastle showed good, collective composure after conceding the goal and this enabled them to take the game to Manchester City without fearing the consequences of playing attacking football.
Everyone on the pitch, especially the holding midfielders – Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff, made smart passes, constantly intercepted the ball in midfield, made quick clearances and looked to attack down the flank. Yes, the visitors caught the Magpies off guard at times, but Benitez’s men never panicked after conceding that crazy goal early on. This kind of composure can certainly keep Newcastle in the Premier League.
Martin Dubravka
Two goals gifted Newcastle with the lead, but big saves from Martin Dubravka kept the Magpies in the game. The Slovakian shot stopper is, in my opinion, the most underrated keeper in the Premier League. The goal he conceded was not his fault at all as he was taken out by a City player. Over the course of the match, however, he stepped up to the plate and made some big saves. In fact, his performance last night reminded us all of his debut against City’s rivals, Manchester United.