Newcastle United entertained Aston Villa at St. James’ Park earlier today as they looked to earn a positive result in the opening weekend of this Premier League season. The Magpies made a good start to the contest and got their noses ahead in the sixth minute when Sandro Tonali got his name on the scoresheet. However, Moussa Diaby equalised for the Villans just five minutes later. Alexander Isak restored Newcastle’s lead in the 16th minute as the Tyneside club went into the half-time break 2-1 up on the scoreline.
Isak scored again in the 58th minute before Callum Wilson got in on the goal-scoring act as well in the 77th minute. Harvey Barnes put the icing on the cake as he found the back of the net in injury time. Eddie Howe’s men ended up securing a dominant 5-1 win at home.
Let’s take a look at how each Newcastle United player fared during the match against the Villans.
GK: Nick Pope – 7/10
The English keeper made a few solid saves at the back and did enough to restrict the opposition to just one goal.
RB: Kieran Tierney – 7.5/10
He kept things solid at the back and managed to engineer a few good chances in the final third.
CB: Fabian Schar – 7/10
Schar didn’t do much wrong at the back but won’t be happy about conceding an early goal.
CB: Sven Botman – 7.5/10
He cleared the danger when needed and was a good presence on the ball. Botman ended the game with an assist to his name.
LB: Dan Burn – 7/10
Burn performed his defensive duties well and made one decent run with the ball.
CM: Sandro Tonali – 7.5/10
The Italian sensation got his name on the scoresheet early in the game and was a positive influence in both halves.
CM: Bruno Guimaraes – 7/10
He controlled the game well from midfield but didn’t do enough to register a goal.
CM: Joelinton – 7/10
Joelinton worked hard at both ends of the pitch but didn’t pose a threat going forward.
RW: Miguel Almiron – 7/10
He had a few promising moments in the game but failed to get his name on the scoresheet.
ST: Alexander Isak – 8/10
Isak was a constant menace in the final third and has got two goals to show for his efforts.
LW: Anthony Gordon – 8/10
He showed a few flashes of what he can do and ended the game with an assist to his name.
Substitutes:
ST: Callum Wilson – 7/10
He managed to score soon after coming off the bench but missed a great chance in the final stages of the contest.
LW: Harvey Barnes – 7.5/10
Barnes did well to score and create a goal after coming on as a substitute.
CM: Sean Longstaff – N/A
He came on for the final few moments of the game.
RW: Jacob Murphy – N/A
He managed to bag an assist.
CM: Elliot Anderson – N/A
Anderson didn’t get enough time to influence the game.
