Newcastle gained a much needed win over ten-man Fulham as they put their midweek European exit behind them to comfortably beat the London side 3-0.
Here are the five things we learned from Newcastle’s win.
NO POPE? NO PROBLEM
With Nick Pope having been ruled out for at least four months with a shoulder injury, Slovak international Martin Dúbravka has stepped up in his absence. Dúbravka is an experienced Premier League goalkeeper, whose performances under Steve Bruce are attributed by the Geordie faithful as one of the principal reasons the club were able to avoid relegation.
Dúbravka showcased said experience versus Fulham, dealing comfortably with the very little that faced him, most notably with an impressive one-on-one save versus Alex Iwobi in the 32nd minute. With Nick Pope set to be side-lined till the latter stages of the season, Eddie Howe will be hoping Dúbravka can continue to impress in the absence of the England international.
LOCAL HEROES RETURN
Geordie duo Sean Longstaff and Dan Burn returned to the starting eleven versus Fulham. Both players had been side-lined recently for a number of games and their return has certainly bolstered a Newcastle team in the midst of what seems to be a never-ending injury crisis.
Burn began the game at his preferred left-back position, but had to step into the centre-back position not 15 minutes later after a Fabian Schär injury in the 12th minute. Burn adapted well and looked comfortable in the centre-half position, even adding a goal to his name for Newcastle’s third, and Eddie Howe will certainly be pleased a player with such versatility is no longer side-lined.
Embed from Getty ImagesNorth Shields born Sean Longstaff also performed admirably in his return to the starting side, proving to be the engine in the Newcastle midfield which earned him an extended run in the side pre-injury.
Both Burn and Longstaff are extremely valuable players to the team as their performances versus Fulham showcased, and no doubt Eddie Howe will be thrilled to have them both available for selection once more.
INJURY WOES WORSEN
Fabian Schär has been a mainstay in the Newcastle defence during the club’s current injury crisis. Schär’s performances in such a time have been extremely impressive in a campaign that has seen him play every minute of Premier League football for the Magpies to date.
But in the midst of a crisis that seems to be never improving for Eddie Howe and his side, the Swiss international was forced off with what looked like a hamstring problem in the 12th minute of the game versus Fulham.
Embed from Getty ImagesWith star centre-half Sven Botman being named on the bench for the first time since late September, it seemed as though the partnership that brought Newcastle such success last season was soon to be reunited. But to the despair of Eddie Howe and the Geordie faithful alike, it may be a while longer before Schär and Botman are reunited on the pitch once more.
JIMÉNEZ SEES RED
In a moment of madness in the 22nd minute, Raul Jiménez was sent off for serious foul play after a VAR-reviewed challenge on Sean Longstaff. Jiménez had scored three goals in his last two games, and was coming into the affair versus Newcastle in red hot form.
Marco Silva would have hoped the Mexican international could have continued such form on Tyneside, but it was not to be for Fulham as the striker’s moment of madness left the visitors without a recognised number nine for the remaining 70 minutes of the affair.
Jiménez will now serve a three-game suspension for his troubles, missing out on Fulham’s quarter-final EFL Cup trip to Goodison Park on Tuesday, a game which Marco Silva would have been relying on his in-form number nine to be available for.
NEWCASTLE BRING FULHAM BACK TO EARTH
Marco Silva’s Fulham have undoubtedly been extremely impressive as of late, with the Whites scoring goals for fun. Fulham have scored 16 goals in their last four games, and would have come to Tyneside brimming with confidence.
The West London outfit managed to stay in the game for the entire first half, despite in-form striker Raul Jiménez seeing red in the 22nd minute after a rash and reckless challenge on Sean Longstaff. But the Newcastle pressure proved too tough for ten-man Fulham to withstand, as the visitors conceded the opener in the 57th minute.
Embed from Getty ImagesNewcastle capitalised on their opening goal and kicked on, putting the game to bed with a second only seven minutes later. While it seemed as though Marco Silva’s high-flying Fulham may have been a test too tough to handle for a Newcastle team fresh off the back of two defeats in a row, Eddie Howe’s side stepped up to the occasion and certainly brought the visitors back down to Earth and put an end to their scintillating run of goalscoring form.
