Newcastle United: 5 best moments of the season through Week 29

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NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 30: Jonjo Shelvey of Newcastle United scores his teams second goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St. James Park on November 30, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) /

2. Jonjo Shelvey’s late equalizer vs. Manchester City

Newcastle United did a fantastic job staying competitive against Manchester City at St. James’ Park, but Kevin De Bruyne’s rocket from outside the box in the 82nd minute gave Manchester City the lead and silenced the Toon Army. It looked like Newcastle United were going to be defeated until Christian Atsu triggered a quick free kick that found Jonjo Shelvey, who then drilled a curling effort from 20 yards out into the side netting to make it 2-2 in the 88th minute.

Shelvey has been in fine form all season with five goals to his name. Although his goal against Sheffield United was one of the smartest goals scored by any player in the league, this late screamer against Manchester City created a unique memory and generated optimism among the club at a critical stage of the season.

1. Matty Longstaff scores the winner in his EPL debut

Several eyebrows were raised when the starting lineup for the game against Manchester United was announced. Matty Longstaff got the nod in the middle of the park and made his Premier League debut against the Red Devils, and what a debut it was. Longstaff played with confidence as he kept calling for the ball and he nearly scored what could have been a Goal of the Season contender in the first half, but his effort hit the bar.

Late in the second half, though, Longstaff finally got his moment under the spotlight when Jetro Willems saw him running up the middle, passed the ball with perfect pace and accuracy, and Longstaff’s grounded shot went past David De Gea. Making your Premier League debut at 19-years-old is special, but scoring the game winner in your debut against the most historic team in the league is surreal.

Next. Grading the four new player contracts at Newcastle United. dark

That performance and that goal opened new doors for Matty Longstaff with the first team. The youngster went on to start five more games, and he even scored his second goal of the season a few weeks later, this time at Old Trafford. Longstaff is a promising youngster who is blessed with talent, and Newcastle United are lucky to have him. Let’s just hope he can agree to a new contract before the end of the season.