Coming on the back of consecutive PL losses, little was expected from Newcastle to pull off a brilliant effort against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup meeting. However, the way the Magpies club responded to the challenge was commendable, putting in a brilliant team effort as they secured a 2-0 win at home, advancing to the Cup quarterfinals.
Ace academy graduate continues his brilliant Newcastle run with their 2-0 Chelsea win
Certainly, as was expected, it was never easy for Newcastle to beat Chelsea; however, a brilliant blend of individual performances and a number of brave decisions by manager Eddie Howe led them to a win. Having been on a disappointing run in the PL, things demanded a change, and Howe, making 5 changes in the starting XI, responded to the situation aptly.
While all the managerial changes worked well in Newcastle's favor, one of the distinguished ones was to bring in ace midfielder Sean Longstaff back into the XI. Having got a chance to feature in Howe's starting setup after almost a month, the 27-year-old grabbed the opportunity brilliantly, being crucial in the win for his contributions in central midfield.
Making key interceptions, crucial clearances, and attempting tackles, the academy graduate seemed omnipresent against Chelsea, covering every blade of grass for his side. Not only did Longstaff's presence contribute to the team with his individual play, but more importantly, it gave manager Howe more options to utilize Sandro Tonali and Joelinton better. With him controlling the ball at the center of the park, Tonali was able to play a lot more offensively, bringing out the best of the overall midfield.
In fact, for many, the midfield trio of Longstaff, Tonali, and Joelinton worked much better than what their usual starting trio has been doing in midfield. While it did involve having Captain Guimaraes start on the bench, it has been evident that the star-studded trio of Guimaraes, Tonali, and Joelinton hasn't been effective in the last few games.
Moreover, what has been much more interesting is the fact that Longstaff's presence is well-backed by Newcastle's overall numbers. By stats, the Magpies club has been invincible in the last 6 games the midfielder has started, having 5 wins and a draw to their name. Thus, even though Longstaff doesn't get credited enough for his work, chances are that manager Howe might resort to backing him in the starting lineup going forward.