Newcastle United player ratings: ‘Rock solid’ 8/10 & 7.5/10 ‘monster’ in 1-0 win v Arsenal
Jordan Cronin
·2-min read
Anthony Gordon’s 68th-minute goal saw Newcastle United edge out Premier League title challengers Arsenal at St James’ Park.
After making eight changes for the midweek win at Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, Howe reverted back to the same starting XI that drew 2-2 at Wolves last Saturday.
It was a fiery first-half and tempers reached boiling point in the latter stages when Kai Havertz put in a reckless tackle on Sean Longstaff. A yellow card was awarded and there was no VAR check. Both sets of players clashed with Longstaff, Anthony Gordon and Fabian Schar booked.
It was more of the same in the second half but Newcastle battled and showed their fighting spirit with Gordon’s goal the difference, although it wasn’t without its controversy following a lengthy VAR check.
Here’s our Newcastle United player ratings:
et the latest Newcastle United headlines with our free football newsletter! Follow the action from St James’ Park and beyond as we bring the sport news to you. Visit our website here to sign up.
Reliable when called upon, despite his distribution being a little wayward.
Dependable on both sides of the pitch after switching to left-back in the second half. Made some vital defensive headers at the back post.
Swept things up at the back and threw his body on the line. But his distribution was not to his usual high standards.
Newcastle’s rock at the back. Won a couple of crunching last ditch tackles and was dominant in the air, heading away several Arsenal set pieces.
Kept Bukayo Saka relatively quiet in the first half despite picking up a back injury. Replaced at half-time.
Not a performance you associate with Bruno but he battled and got right in the faces of the Arsenal midfielders. Booked.
Relentless display from the Geordie midfielder. Didn’t stop running for 90 minutes. One of the fittest midfielders in the league.
The Brazilian is defensively underrated. Covered every blade of grass. Monster.
Started as Newcastle’s biggest threat but faded in the second half.
The difference maker after being in the right place at the right time to score his fourth goal of the season.
Engaged in a physical battle with both Arsenal centre halves but didn’t get much joy in front of goal.
Had his work cut out against Gabriel Martinelli but dealt with the winger relatively well.
Injected energy immediately when introduced. His cross that led to Gordon’s opener.
His evening was abruptly cut short after his shoulder popped out again.
Made some important defensive headers in the closing stages.
Princess Kate hosted her annual Christmas carol concert on Friday and Prince Louis was caught in a cheeky moment with his sister Princess Charlotte. See their antics here
We need to talk about Ukraine. While the world’s attention has been focused on the war between Israel and Hamas, grim tremors have been shaking that rich, black soil. Ukraine’s counteroffensive has failed – or, in Volodymyr Zelensky’s words, “did not achieve the desired results”.
As they mingled in a rooftop bar overlooking Battersea Power Station, ITV executives were in a celebratory mood. ITVX, the broadcaster’s streaming service, was turning a year old.
Unrest has emerged among Russian invaders due to the almost complete absence of rotation of soldiers drafted under general mobilization, Ukraine’s HUR Intelligence Main Directorate said on Dec. 8, releasing an audio interception as evidence.
The intercity train that collided with an overhead power cable, sparking chaos for thousands of passengers in west London, was being driven by a manager who was replacing a striking driver, it was revealed on Friday. Aslef, the train drivers’ union, said the Great Western Railways train was being driven by a manager who was allegedly being paid £500 to “break the strike”. Aslef published the first picture of the broken power cable beside the Cardiff-bound train.
The Japanese man who made headlines throughout the year for chronicling his journey as a “dog” has apparently flunked an agility course. What happened: The man, known to his followers as Toco, posted a series of photos on Instagram this week showing what appeared to be moments of failure in a Crufts-style agility course. About Toco: Toco rose to fame in 2022 after commissioning Zeppet, a Japanese model and sculpture company, to create a hyperrealistic rough collie costume for 2 million yen (around $16,000 at the time).
