Newcastle United made a short trip to Stoke on Trent to clash heads with Stoke City at the bet365 stadium. Rafael Benitez opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation and made a few changes for the match and it did the trick as the Magpies ran out 1-0 winners on the day through a goal from Ayoze Perez in the 73rd minute of the game.
This win at Stoke takes the Magpies out of relegation trouble for the time being and climb up to the 13th place in the Premier League standings as Rafael Benitez looks to go into the transfer market in search of a few quality additions to his squad this month.
Let’s shed some light on how each Newcastle United player fared in the match.
GK: Karl Darlow – 8/10
The Belgian pulled off some good saves to earn his team a clean sheet away at Stoke.
RB: DeAndre Yedlin – 7/10
He was superb on the right side of the backline and did well defensively while providing an outlet in the opposition half.
CB: Jamaal Lascelles – 7/10
He defended well and commanded the backline for the Magpies.
CB: Ciaran Clark – 7/10
He also put in a great performance to earn his team a clean sheet.
LB: Javier Manquillo – 7/10
The Spanish full-back tracked back well when required and tried to link up with his front line in the attacking third.
CM: Jonjoe Shelvey – 7/10
The English midfielder passed the ball well and did enough to end up on the winning team.
CM: Mohamed Diame – 7/10
His physical presence in the midfield helped the Magpies cope with some of the Stoke City attacks and he bossed the game at times.
LM: Jacob Murphy – 7/10
Another consistent performance from the Newcastle winger on the left flank.
CAM: Christian Atsu – 6/10
Not the best game for the attacking midfielder in the Newcastle shirt as he was left frustrated quite a number of times during the match.
RM: Matt Ritchie – 6/10
He lacked the cutting edge in the final third but tried his best in the match.
ST: Ayoze Perez – 8/10
He scored the goal which ultimately won his team the game. It could turn out to be a vital contribution in Newcastle’s quest to save themselves from relegation.
Substitutes:
LB: Paul Dummett – 6/10
He came on to do enough in defence to secure the points for his side.
ST: Dwight Gayle – 7/10
He came off the bench and looked a threat in the opposition half.
CM: Isaac Hayden – N/A
He hardly had any time to make an impact in the game.
