Main Page

Quick Links
   Fixtures
   Reports
   Players
   Transfers
   Rumours
   Table
   Stats
   Reserves
   Academy

The Rest
   Archives
   Club info
   Fanzines
   Last Season
   SJP
   Unlikely Lads
   A-Z Index

Season 2023-24
Brentford (h) Premier League

 

 
Date:
Saturday 16th September 2023, 5.30pm
Live on Sky Sports

Venue:
St. James' Park

Conditions: Reassuring
 



Newcastle

Brentford

 

1 - 0

 

 

Teams

Goals

Half time: Magpies 0 Bees 0

64 mins Sean Longstaff's forward ball to Harvey Barnes on the edge of the Brentford saw the former Leicester man drop his shoulder and allow the ball past him, cleverly opening space for himself. 

With Nathan Collins blocking his route to goal, Barnes initially moved out wide on the left flank before shimmying back towards goal and evaded both Mathias Jensen and Collins before crossing from almost on the byline.

That centre to the far post looked over played with no colleague in that area, but Anthony Gordon stole in as Aaron Hickey scuffed a short pass towards goalkeeper Mark Flekken. Contact followed, Gordon went down in a heap off the pitch and after a short pause, Pawson pointed to the spot.

Bruno Guimaraes initially collected the ball and stood on the spot, before Callum Wilson belatedly strolled into the box to accept possession after elongated posturing from visiting players finally fizzled out. His connection was confident and precise, beyond Flekken who dived the correct way. 1-0

Full time: Magpies 1 Bees 0

We Said

 

Eddie Howe said:

"It was a bitty game for us. We had to get set-pieces right, crosses right and defensively I was very pleased.

"There was a lot of relief in our emotions at the end. It wasn’t a fantastic performance from us but it was a gritty one, a determined one. We wanted to show a response from the Brighton performance and you’ve seen that – a clean sheet and three points.

"At any club you can’t lose games on a consistent basis because it becomes a habit. We wanted to bounce back and today was a tricky one for us.
Brentford are a very good team who make the game set-piece orientated. We had to deal with that and make sure we didn’t concede.”

On goalscorer Wilson:

"Yeah, I thought he led the line really well. He took his penalty really well and didn't have much in open play but a brilliant display from a Newcastle number nine.

"He is a leader in the group, a vocal presence, a positive guy and a goalscorer. Put them together and he's very important, so I'm very happy he's staying with us."

"There have been no real obvious changes but his life has changed drastically which is a huge compliment to him really. He's gone from when I first signed him as a Championship player to now an international, a Premier League player and a Champions League player. 

"His character is still the same where he laughs, he jokes, he's positive and kind, a really good team-mate and father to his kids.”

"He's had a very difficult journey to get where he is now, it's not been plain sailing. His character and his positivity has helped become an elite player. I'm delighted and I hope and I know there's more there for him.”

On the absent Joelinton:

"Joe has had a recurrence of his knee injury playing for Brazil in the second game, so he'll be missing for a a few weeks."

They Said

 

Thomas Frank said:

"
I don’t think it’s a penalty. We got trolled in a similar situation a some weeks ago against Tottenham when Kevin Schade was through, clear contact with the keeper took him out but apparently he (the keeper) pulled out before. 

"They also talked about a situation between Arsenal and Manchester City but that was penalty awarded, But going forward these should not be penalties. We have a keeper clearly pulling out and a player cleverly letting his leg hang there. It’s not a penalty.

"If the assistant didn’t take the decision, it should 100% be humans making the decisions like that, then I’m convinced that VAR would not have overturned the decision, so I think that’s a problem.

"But because it’s not clear and obvious, it’s too tight. Now we will have a situation where Howard Webb will come out and apologise about the situation and say ‘we’re sorry’, I just think it’s too many time but it can happen.

“We performed very well here at a very difficult away ground. We did so many things right and I think in a very, very even game, we could have won it.

I'm very pleased with the character of the team, I’m very pleased with the way we played the game and that's the thing we need to take forward."

“We matched their intensity and physicality, and we were very cool on the ball in those moments and created some good opportunities and situations, especially in the first half.

“We have many good things to take away from the game and that, of course, is the thing we need to bring with us I know tomorrow morning I'll be more positive because the boys gave everything.

"I think with all these new rules of where they add time, if the ball boys don’t want to give the ball back I think it should be an extra minute. That’s just to the ref I want to say that.”

Stats


Six points from their opening five PL games mirrors Newcastle's tally at the same stage of the 2022/23 season, as does a goal difference of +1.

The Magpies kept their first PL clean sheet of the campaign and only their second in 16 attempts.

Brentford still await their first PL victory over Newcastle after five meetings home and away. The Magpies have won four and the other ended in a draw. 

Bees in Toon - all-time: 

2023/24 won 1-0 Wilson (PL)
2022/23
won 5-1 Guimaraes 2, Murphy, Almiron, og(Pinnock) (PL)
2021/22 drew 3-3 Lascelles, Joelinton, Saint-Maxmin (PL)
2016/17 won 3-1 Clark, Gayle 2 (Ch)
2001/02 won 4-1 Ameobi, Bellamy 3 (LC)
1992/93 won 5-1 Kelly, Bracewell, Clark 2, Lee (D1)
1954/55 won 3-2 Curry, Hannah, Mitchell (FA)
1947/48 won 1-0 Woodburn (D2)
1934/35 lost 2-5 Gallantree, Kelly (D2)

Callum Wilson's 41st Premier League goal for Newcastle brought him level with Les Ferdinand in the club's scoring charts for that competition. Wilson's total came from 80 appearance (61 starts)  while Sir Les managed it in 68 outings (67 starts). 

United's current number 9 now has a 100% success rate from his 10 penalty kicks:

2020/21 Spurs (a) drew 1-1
2020/21 Burnley (h) won 3-1
2020/21 Everton (h) won 2-1
2020/21 Fulham (h) drew 1-1
2021/22 Norwich City (h) drew 1-1
2021/22 Burnley (a) won 2-1
2022/23 Aston Villa (h) won 4-0
2022/23 Leeds United (a) drew 2-2
2022/23 Leeds United (a) drew 2-2
2023/24 Brentford (h) won 1-0

(he scored five of the six PL penalties for Bournemouth)

NUFC PL scoring list - all-time:

Callum Wilson 41
Les Ferdinand 41
Shola Ameobi 43
Andy Cole 43
Peter Beardsley 46
(OG 48)
Alan Shearer 148

(Wilson's 41st PL goal for Newcastle saw him match his tally in that competition for Bournemouth).  

 

Waffle

Fresh from signing an extended contract, Callum Wilson underlined his importance to Newcastle by netting the only goal of the game on Saturday; ending a three game losing run and sending team mates and fans off on their Champions League adventure in good heart.

Making his 80th Premier League appearance for the Magpies, Wilson thought he'd scored his 41st goal to equal Les Ferdinand's tally when forcing the ball home from close range in the 58th minute.

United's current number 9 was denied that strike by a harsh ruling that he'd impeded Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken before netting, but just three minutes later the visiting custodian clattered into Anthony Gordon to concede a penalty.

Wilson kept his cool amidst prolonged efforts from the Brentford players to unnerve him, placing the ball on the penalty spot before planting it high into the Gallowgate End net amid great applause.

The opportunity of a second spot kick then looked to have presented itself on 79 minutes when referee Craig Pawson responded to a massive shout for handball by Bryan Mbeumo. This time however he overturned his initial decision following a pitchside review.   

United then successfully saw out the remainder of the game and 10 minutes of additional time to record a victory that wasn't particularly stylish but very timely.

Searching for his second win of the season, Eddie Howe was able to recall fit-again Sven Botman; Dan Burn returning to left back in place of Matt Targett.

A further quartet of changes to the side beaten 1-3 at Brighton saw Wilson preferred to Alexandar Isak and a first start for Harvey Barnes on the left with Miggy Almiron replaced by Gordon shifting to the right.

Completing the alterations, Sean Longstaff returned as Sandro Tonali dropped to the bench, while Elliot Anderson deputised for knee injury victim Joelinton - the Brazilian flying out of Newcastle on the morning of the game to reportedly see a specialist.

Aside from one block by Nick Pope to deny Aaron Hickey early on, neither goalkeeper was called into action but the approach work of the visiting side was slicker and more convincing than that of the hosts.

A speculative effort from Fabian Schar deflected out for Newcastle's first corner just before the half hour and from that, Bruno looked a certain scorer as he connected with the ball at the back post - only for Flekken to get enough contact to block the header.

Half time arrived with the contest still scoreless and Brentford's ploy of loading the six yard box failing to bear fruit. At the other end meanwhile, a couple of crosses that Wilson headed goalwards but couldn't direct on target at least hinted at some dividend.

With no interval changes, United thankfully injected some of the necessary urgency that was absent in a stodgy first half, although it's open to question whether a goal from open play would have come.

The opportunistic Gordon and the unflinching Wilson however combined to force the vital breakthrough; the three points perfectly timed to calm those who had begun to raise doubts about our current situation.     

Biffa


Page last updated 18 September, 2023