OPINION
Newcastle United hosted Arsenal on Saturday at St James Park with Rafa Benitez clearly hoping that his side could deliver a performance which would see them move out of the Premier League’s relegation zone.
The Magpies looked lively in the first-half even if they didn’t register a shot on target as they constantly tried to push forward as a team and search for an opening.
Benitez’s side looked the more likely to score in the first 45 minutes even though the Gunners saw a lot of the ball as the London club couldn’t find a way to bypass the Magpies’ midfield let alone its defence at times.
However that all changed in the second-half as the Gunners upped their performance which saw them able to cruise to a 2-1 victory.
Nothing But Newcastle has delivered ratings for all the Magpies players after their performances against the Gunners:
Goalkeeper and defence
Martin Dubravka – 6 – Looked ready to leap into action anytime the Gunners even teased having a short on goal. The Magpies are very lucky to have him. There was nothing Dubravka could do to stop Granit Xhaka scoring to give his side the lead moments after the second half started as it was a precise free-kick. However he should have saved Mesut Ozil’s effort as he didn’t get a strong enough hand on it.
DeAndre Yedlin – 6 – Was using all the skills in his locker to help Matt Ritchie have opportunities to cross the ball in from the right and when he needed to defend he got himself in the right positions.
Jamaal Lascelles – 5 – Appeared to be struggling with an injury at points in the first-half, yet it is a testament to his talents that he still looked like a rock at the back despite his clear issue. The defender didn’t return from the half-time break due to his injury and was replaced by Clark.
Federico Fernandez – 7 – Beautifully dealt with the Gunners’ attempt to play on the counter as he seemed to be able to cope with the Gunners’ attacking options despite their quality and pace. Constantly put in vital blocks for his side.
Paul Dummett – 6 – Uncharacteristically sloppy with possession in the first-half which seemed to have his teammate Matt Ritchie shout a few words at him. However did do well defensively to keep the Gunners’ attack at bay as much as he could.
Midfield
Matt Ritchie – 7 – The winger looked dangerous and able to cause the Gunners problems as his continuely delivered inch-perfect crosses whenever he could. Ritchie just did everything right on Saturday and it’s clear that his display deserves all the praise that there is to give.
Isaac Hayden – 2 – Who? For a midfielder who has a lot to prove he didn’t exactly standout for his side and if anything was outshone by Mohamed Diame constantly in the Magpies’ midfield and he wasn’t firing on all cylinders. It was easy to forget the midfielder was even playing as the game just bypassed him by even when his side were dominating possession. The 6ft 1in tall midfielder (Source: Transfermarkt) was practically invisible and won’t be featuring again anytime soon based on that performance. The only positive moment Hayden did have is when he put his body on the line to win his side a free-kick in a decent position.
Mohamed Diame – 5 – Finally! The midfielder who has struggled all season showed signs of life as he bossed the midfield for the Magpies in the first-half. While some of Diame’s passes could have been better, with one closer to the corner flag than any player in the first-half, everything else was going his way. However the only concern was the midfielder was unable to keep his good performance going as once the second half begun, he crumbled and went back into his shell.
Jacob Murphy – 5 – There is no denying the winger has bundles of pace in his locker and could do more to be an attacking threat for his side. Murphy missed a golden opportunity to make the most of mistake by the Arsenal defence in the 20th minute but it’s worth noting that he does at least try to make things happen.
Attack
Ayoze Perez – 3 – Had a very good first-half by some accounts as the attacker’s desire to work hard for his team made him constantly have to be kept an eye on by the Gunners. However he does nothing with the ball when he has the opportunity and it just makes him very frustrating to watch.
Joselu – 4 – Was getting in the right positions as Ritchie and Murphy constantly trying to create opportunities for him and Perez but he wasn’t able to stick any of them in the back of the net. It’s starting to become hard to harshly criticise Joselu, even if some fans continue, as at least he always gives his all for the side even if his finishing ability ends up letting him down. Should have done better with the effort he had at goal in the 88th minute.
Substitutes
Ciarian Clark on to replace Lascelles (45) – 6 – The defender is nowhere near as good as Lascelles, who he replaced, and it was no surprise that after his introduction, that’s when the Magpies conceded. However the defender showed his fantastic attitude by continuing to try his best until the very end and he was rewarded with a goal.
Kenedy on for Murphy (68) – 5 – Awful corner that lead to the Gunners going close to scoring a third in the 73rd minute. The Brazilian is continuing to have a nightmare time on Tyneside.
Yoshinori Muto in for Ritchie (79) – 5 – Showed signs he could be a positive influence for his side but wasn’t given enough time to make an impact considering the Gunners were in complete control when he entered the game.
