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 2022-23
Southampton (h) Premier League

 


Date:
Sunday 30th April 2023, 2.00pm

Venue:
 St. James' Park

Conditions: Overwhelming
 



 

Newcastle

 Southampton

 

3 - 1

 

 

Teams

Goals

41 mins From a position on the left hand touchline midway in the Southampton half, Dan Burn laid the ball back to Bruno Guimaraes who was roughly but legally dispossessed by Romeo Lavia. Carlos Alcaraz collected the ball and set off towards goal through the middle, Sven Botman backing off as he tried to act as a barrier to the man in possession and Kamaldeen Sulemana to his right.

The Argentinean played a short pass to Sulemana whose first time cross into the middle was knocked in from six yards out by the horrible Stuart Armstrong. He celebrated by goading home fans in the Gallowgate. 0-1

Half time: Magpies 0 Saints 1

54 mins Bruno sprayed a pass out to Burn on the left wing just inside the opposition half and he pushed it forward to Alexander Isak, who was afforded space by Lyanco to reach the edge of the box before sending over a low cross that Moussa Djenepo tried and failed to cut out.

The pass arrived at the feet of Callum Wilson, who dispatched a first-time rising shot past Alex McCarthy from eight yards out at the Gallowgate End. 1-1

79 mins Kieran Trippier's flag kick from Strawberry Corner was flicked on by Botman into the six yard area, striking Theo Walcott's boot and flying into the net. Bruno was announced as the scorer in the stadium but it clearly was never his; Schar a more plausible candidate although it didn't touch him en route to goal. 2-1

81 mins Nick Pope's right-footed punt downfield bounced just outside the "D" at the other end of the field. Ainsley Maitland-Niles looked favourite to get the ball but Joe Willock got goal side and crucially pressurised the visiting defender, who got a weak touch on the ball as he tried to clear.

That was pounced upon by Callum Wilson, whose presence seemed to take Jan Bednarek nearby by accident. His first touch took it away from Maitland-Niles, the second saw him jink past McCarthy and the third saw him slot the ball into the net as the retreating Bednarek made a fruitless attempt to reach it on the line. The ultimate poacher's goal 3-1

Full time: Magpies 3 Saints 1

We Said

Eddie Howe said:

"It’s been a good week. It’s been three massive games for us, and three tough games. Today was a tough game in a different way to the others, because we knew the expectation externally was probably that we were going to win.

"It was a disappointing first half for us. Southampton played well, defended well, we couldn't break them down and get that first goal we needed.

"But a great response second half. It was a key moment for us, 1-0 down, and the players did exceptionally well in that second period.

"We played with real control. We didn't get desperate in our attempts to score. We stayed patient but made good decisions and got rewarded for that.

"We're in a good place because we're winning and we're confident, and the players believe in our abilities to win football matches. We play Arsenal next and look forward to that challenge but take nothing for granted."

On Callum Wilson: 

"What an impact from Callum
(Wilson); he changed the game for us.

"Callum doesn’t always start but he lives to score goals and he’s a brilliant player to have in your squad. He was exceptional today. We looked a bit tired, a bit off, a bit flat in the first half but we regrouped, tweaked a couple of things and blew Southampton away in the second half.

"He took his goals brilliantly. His all-round performance was superb. He had a galvanising effect on the group, on the crowd. Alex (Isak) moved to the left and did really well. It was a really good second half and capped off with Callum's goal.

On Anthony Gordon going off at half-time: 

"It was no reflection on his performance, I thought Anthony did really well. He could have scored and had probably our best moments of the half but I felt I needed to get Callum on the pitch. Someone had to be sacrificed and it was him."

On the absent Sean Longstaff:

"Sean picked up a knock on his foot. We sent him for an X-ray and there’s no break or fracture, so we just hope it’s bad bruising. He wasn’t able to perform for us today, but he’ll hopefully be back very soon.

"Will the Arsenal game come too soon? I hope not, no, I hope he'll be available pretty soon, but it's difficult to guarantee that.”

On the absent Allan Saint-Maximin:

"We’re seeing improvements from Maxi. He's been working with us now for a week, he's been working hard with the physiotherapists. He's still not with the sports scientists, there's still a bit for him to do before he's back training, but it’s all positive signs.”

On the absent Jamaal Lascelles:


"He’s picked up a calf injury in the gym: it looks like his season could be over. A really big disappointment for us, because he’s been incredible behind the scenes. It’s a big blow.”

On the prospect of European football:

"I have to be honest and say I haven't really digested that. I haven't really taken myself there. It might sound a bit strange, but I haven't.

"I've just focused on the next game and the next challenge and the next training session, and then there will be a time when we have to plan because of recruitment and all the other things that come into play.

"But it's not the time now because there's no guarantee of anything. We still have to win the games we need and get the points we need, so my head is currently where we are presently and that won't change.”

They Said

Ruben Selles said:

"We started the game well. We knew what to do to get a good performance and three points here.

"We wanted to have a little bit more possession in the first half but we were fine in the moments and in the transactions we were where we wanted to be.

"In the second half, the game changed a little bit. They brought a tactical variation with Isak on the left-hand side. We tried to compensate that but we really didn't find ourselves during the second half.

"I have been very clear from the beginning, we will stand here until the end and fight for it. Hopefully, we can do it for 90 to 95 minutes in the next game. Today, we really dropped our level in the second half."

"I’m still very positive we can stay up. We knew what to do in the first half but we didn’t react to Isak moving to the side quickly enough and couldn’t connect with each other in the second half. 

"We have to be stronger in difficult moments but we’re still alive. We’ll fight to the very end.

"The aim was to win the game, that is always the aim. We knew that our boys up front had a hard task during the game and we needed to take them off because they ran out of energy.

“We had a plan and thought that with refreshment in the front, we can continue finding spaces and continue with our game plan. It didn’t work and we need to accept that, sometimes this happens in the game.

"We were doing well, we had the plan to apply pressure when we can and keep the ball. When you play against a top-four team it's more difficult to keep it. They became more aggressive and put Isak on the side, we were too late to react to it and we let it go

"Sometimes it is difficult. In the first half, we knew what to do but in the second we didn’t find that connection and that is for all of us to work out. We need to be stronger in those moments."

Stats


Newcastle recovered from trailing at half time in a PL home game to take all three points for the first time since March 2019, when they turned a 0-2 deficit against Everton into a 3-2 victory.

Top scorer
Callum Wilson moved on to 15 PL goals for the season; his best ever return in a top-flight campaign, beating the 14 he netted for Bournemouth in 2018/19.

Wilson has now scored twice in a game for Newcastle on nine occasions without registering a hat-trick, yet. His double took him to 35 PL goals as a Magpie, one more than Robert Lee. 

He now occupies eighth position in the club's PL scoring charts:

Callum Wilson 35
Papiss Cisse 37
Nolberto Solano 37
Les Ferdinand 41
Shola Ameobi 43
Andy Cole 43
Peter Beardsley 46
Alan Shearer 148

Wilson's 15 goals make him the club's most prolific PL scorer in a single season since Demba Ba hit 16 in 2011/12. The last week has seen him surpass previous seasonal top scorers Papiss Cisse (11 in 2014/15), Gini Wijnaldum (11 in 2015/16), Ayoze Perez (12 in 2018/19), Wilson himself (12 in 2020/21), Demba Ba (13 in 2012/13) and Loic Remy (14 in 2013/14). 

This is the eighth time this season that a Newcastle player has appeared from the bench and scored a goal - and the fourth successive home game in which that has happened: 

Chris Wood v Southampton (a) (scored in 12 minutes)
Alexander Isak v Fulham (h) (scored in 18 minutes)
Miguel Almiron v Wolves (h) (scored in 11 minutes)
Callum Wilson v Manchester United (h) (scored in 8 minutes)
Alexander Isak v West Ham (a) (scored in 18 minutes)
Callum Wilson v Spurs (h) (scored in 65 seconds)
Jacob Murphy v Everton (a) (scored in 13 minutes)

Callum Wilson v Southampton (h) (scored in 9 minutes)


The last instance of a Newcastle substitute scoring twice came in January 2020 when Florian Lejeune arrived from the bench against Everton at Goodison Park and hit a late brace. At SJP, the last Magpie to achieve this before Wilson was Papiss Cisse in December 2014, versus Chelsea.


35 points at SJP so far this season is United's best PL return since 2011/12 (38 points). 

32 goals at SJP so far this season is United's best PL return since 2015/16 (also 32 goals).

Newcastle registered their 400th PL victory and like the three previous milestones, did it at SJP:

100 PL wins Sep 1998 Nottingham Forest (h) 2-0
200 PL wins Mar 2005 Liverpool (h) 1-0
300 PL wins Feb 2014 Aston Villa (h) 1-0
400 PL wins Apr 2023 Southampton (h) 3-1

(those 400 wins comprise of 263 home and 137 away).

United completed a sixth PL win double of the season, with home and away victories over Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Spurs, Everton and Southampton.

The Magpies ended with a 100% record against the Saints this season from four league and cup meetings - something they've never previously achieved against any side in any season. 

Rather improbably, three different managers were in charge of Southampton during that sequence:

Nov 2022 PL won 4-1 (a) (Ralph Hasenhuttl)
Jan 2023 LC won 1-0 (a) (Nathan Jones)
Jan 2023 LC won 2-1 (h) (Nathan Jones)
Apr 2023 PL won 3-1 (h) (Ruben Selles)


Saints in Toon - PL era:

2022/23 Won 3-1 Wilson 2, og(Walcott)
2022/23
Won 2-1 S.Longstaff 2 (LC)
2021/22 Drew 2-2 Wilson, Saint-Maximin
2020/21 Won 3-2 Willock, Almiron 2
2019/20 Won 2-1 Shelvey, Fernandez
2018/19 Won 3-1 Perez 3
2017/18 Won 3-0 Kenedy 2, Ritchie
2015/16 Drew 2-2 Cisse, Wijnaldum
2014/15 Lost 1-2 Gouffran
2013/14 Drew 1-1 Gouffran
2012/13 Won 4-2 Sissoko, Cisse, Cabaye(pen), og
2005/06 Won 1-0 Dyer (FAC)
2004/05 Won 2-1 Shearer (pen), Bramble
2003/04 Won 1-0 Shearer
2002/03 Won 2-1 Sh.Ameobi, Hughes
2001/02 Won 3-1 Robert, Shearer 2 (1 pen)
2000/01 Drew 1-1 Gallacher
1999/00 Won 5-0 Ferguson 2, Solano, OG x 2
1998/99 Won 4-0 Shearer 2 (1 pen), Ketsbaia, og
1997/98 Won 2-1 Barnes 2
1996/97 Lost 0-1
1995/96 Won 1-0 Lee
1994/95 Won 5-1 Watson 2, Cole 2, Lee
1993/94 Lost 1-2 Cole

There was a place on the bench for Paul Dummett, who was stripped and ready to appear when the referee blew for full time - denying Dummy a first PL outing of the season. He last played a league game at home to Aston Villa in February 2022.
 

Waffle

Newcastle maintained their pursuit of a top four finish with victory over the Premier League's basement side on Sunday - coming from a goal down to round off their sensational week.

Behind to a 41st minute strike from Stuart Armstrong after a rare visit into the United area, half time arrival Callum Wilson took just nine minutes to regain parity amid widespread relief.

Wilson was denied another goal by a lengthy VAR -confirmed offside call on 74 minutes, but within five minutes the Magpies legitimately led 2-1 after a corner ended up in the Saints net via Sven Botman and Theo Walcott - the latter credited with an own goal.

And barely two minutes later it was 3-1, with another predatory effort from Wilson - his fifth in eight days  and United's 13th goal in three games. Incredible.

Yet to claim a hat-trick in black and white, the number nine then shot against the Gallowgate crossbar in the closing seconds - and saw the ball drop down and bounce off the goal frame again. 

Eddie Howe selected ten of the side that finished Thursday's Everton demolition to face the Saints, meaning recalls for Dan Burn, Alexander Isak, Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon at the expense of Matt Targett, Wilson, Miggy Almiron and Sean Longstaff - the latter unavailable due to a foot injury.

Winless in their last eight games, Southampton were unsurprisingly on the back foot in the opening stages of the first half; Gordon finding space down the left and supplying a handful of tempting crosses after firing narrowly wide from his side's first attack.

A first Newcastle goal for Gordon looked likely on 19 minutes, when a fine through ball from Isak saw him bear down on goal, only to clip the post with his shot.

United gradually lost their way however, dominating possession but fashioning little - a fierce first time effort from Bruno that flashed past the post a rare moment of genuine danger for the visitors.

Despite that however it still came as something of a shock when a quick counter attack from
Carlos Alcaraz ended with Kamaldeen Sulemana centring from the right and Stuart Armstrong tucking it past Pope.

The arrival of Wilson for the second period was expected, Gordon making way - the former Everton man making his first home start for United and show hints of why we were so keen to sign him. 

There's impatience among some sections of the fanbase for Gordon to deliver, but playing the long game with Longstaff, Murphy and Joelinton etc. has been repaid handsomely and there's no reason to think that Howe's positive influence won't pay dividends in the future. It's also worth recalling that Gordon arrived on Tyneside in a fairly poor physical condition and is yet to have a pre-season here.

Wilson's introduction saw Isak take up the left wing role - a position which allowed him to torture his opponents in similar fashion to Thursday's exhibition of trickery. He really is a joy to watch like this.

Normal service was resumed thanks to Wilson's close range finish and the exuberant home crowd roared their heroes on to a tenth home victory this season, thanks to yet another second half resurgence - these team talks must be bloody good. 

The only thing in doubt by the end was the margin of victory; another example of Magpie mayhem ripping the visitors apart and ending the most incredible of weeks on a high note.

Three points maintained our grip on third spot, a home win for Manchester United over Aston Villa keeping the Red Devils on our tail but smothering any chance of a late push by Unai Emery's side.

Liverpool meanwhile similarly elbowed Spurs out of the picture; throwing away a three goal lead only to then summon up an injury time winner at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp's side have winnable games left, but remain nine points behind us.

A trio of memorable wins in eight days leaves Newcastle guaranteed European football at some level next season and within touching distance of a Champions League return after 20 years. Two wins and a draw from our remaining games will earn a top four spot if we avoid defeat to Brighton.

Ahead of everything else though is the mouth-watering prospect of Arsenal's visit here next Sunday. A repeat of last season's home victory over the Gunners would represent a new high for this squad - and there's no reason why that cannot materialise. 

At this moment, frankly, anything seems possible.

Biffa


Page last updated 11 October, 2023