Rafa Benitez: Top 5 matches with Newcastle in the Premier League
By Durim Halimi
Rafa Benitez has earned many positive results with Newcastle United in the Premier League, but there are five matches that stand out.
Rafa Benitez has worked miracles at Newcastle United since becoming manager toward the end of the 2015-16 Premier League campaign. Due to a lack of financial support over multiple transfer windows, Benitez has had to work with a mediocre roster comprised of some players who belong in the Top Flight and many more who belong in the second tier.
That being said, the Spaniard has defied all odds and he continues to find ways to keep Newcastle competitive in every match, even when the disparity in quality between the Magpies and the opposition is quite noticeable. Last season was one to remember on Tyneside, well the second half of last season, as the Championship-labeled Magpies earned a tenth place finish.
Obviously, in order to get those kind of results the Magpies had to pluck some big feathers along the way. Sticking to the script and only defeating bottom half teams guarantees survival, but stealing points from the top six when everyone else counts you out is how to climb the table.
Benitez is an experienced tactician who rarely takes risks when the odds are against him and his team, but every now and then he likes to break his own rules and decides to play toe-to-toe with the elite squads of England. When making this list, there were many matches to choose from, however, the five matches I have selected are ones that the Toon Army will talk about for quite some time in the future.
To be on the safe side, though, here are three notable matches that were considered, but did not make the final cut:
- Liverpool 2-2 Newcastle United (April 23, 2016)
- Newcastle United 3-0 Southampton (March 10, 2018)
- Leicester City 1-2 Newcastle United (April 7, 2018)