OPINION
Newcastle United’s victory over Manchester United on Sunday saw midfielder Matty Longstaff well and truly burst on to the scene at St James’ Park.
The youngster scored the winner in the 1-0 victory on his Premier League debut and partnered brother Sean in the heart of the Magpies’ midfield.
Longstaff was drafted into the side as Isaac Hayden started his suspension for the red card he picked up in the 5-0 defeat against Leicester City in the game beforehand.
The emergence of Longstaff was great news for everyone apart from Ki Sung-yueng, who was placed on the bench despite having much more experience than the 19-year-old.
Steve Bruce is surely set to stick with the Longstaff brothers after the international break after they excelled in the heart of midfield both going forward and in defence.
Ki has only started one game this season, in the 3-1 defeat against Norwich City, and has come off the bench on two separate occasions against both Brighton and Leicester City – failing to impress.
Defensively, the 30-year-old has been poor, averaging 0.3 tackles per game according to WhoScored, as he has failed to disrupt opposing sides as they approach the final third.
Longstaff brought a breath of fresh air to the middle of the park compared to the likes of Ki, and against arguably tougher opposition in Manchester United, he made much more of an impact.
The 19-year-old made one tackle and completed two interceptions according to WhoScored, and played a pivotal role in securing the Magpies’ second victory of the season.
The youngster also had two shots on goal and also completed a single key pass as he excelled in all areas of the pitch against the Red Devils.
Ki is surely at the bottom of the pile now in terms of midfield options, and will certainly find it hard to earn many minutes under Bruce this season.
