Newcastle United were defeated 3-2 by Arsenal in Singapore on Sunday and here are five things Geordie Boot Boys learned from the match.
Though Newcastle United have suffered yet another defeat, Eddie Howe’s side put in a much better performance against Arsenal than their shocking 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Celtic.
New signing Anthony Elanga grabbed his first goal for the club early on as the Magpies took an early lead.
Arsenal dominated possession, though, and turned the game around with a quick-fire double from Mikel Merino and an Alex Murphy own-goal.
Newcastle did manage to level after the break when Jacob Murphy found the bottom corner from distance but a late Martin Odegaard penalty earned a win for the Gunners.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
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Newcastle’s failures were rubbed in before kick-off
If Newcastle could feel any lower after their terrible summer transfer window, Arsenal certainly tried to find out.
Before the game even got underway, the Gunners paraded their brand new 54-goal striker Viktor Gyokeres to the excited crowd in Singapore.
Mikel Arteta has been desperate for a striker for years and has finally got one in the form of the £64m Swede, while Newcastle’s own star Swedish striker, Alexander Isak, was back in Newcastle.
Arsenal obviously have more pull than Newcastle at present but it shows just how incompetent the club have been this summer when you see the work they have done in the window in comparison.
In contrast, Howe was forced to play the hard-working William Osula for 73 minutes in intense humidity, as his only other option up front was young Sean Neave.
Action needs to be taken as soon as possible.
Missing out on James Trafford continues to look like a disaster
Nick Pope actually had a very good second half in goal, making two fine saves to deny Bukayo Saka and Max Downman, as well as a few more solid stops.
Yet, his poor distribution put his side into severe danger on at least two occasions and his passing led to surrendered possession even more than that.
It’s been asserted that Howe is happy with his goalkeeper situation and Newcastle only wanted James Trafford to seize on an opportunity rather than a desperate need to sign a new goalkeeper.
If that’s the case, then why were Newcastle noticeably trying to pass the ball out from the back in a style clearly not suited to Pope?
If Howe wants his side to play more expansive, possession-based football, then he needs a goalkeeper who is capable and confident on the ball.
Pope isn’t and insisting on playing that way makes missing out on Trafford all the more disastrous.
Anthony Elanga shows desperately needed promise
There’s a lot of negativity surrounding Newcastle but Elanga at least offered a bit of brightness in his first-half display.
The Swede scored within six minutes of his first start for the club, with either a scuffed finish or a shot smartly struck into the ground to deceive the goalkeeper, depending on who you ask.
There can be no questioning the smart movement that led to the goal, though, or Elanga’s lightning pace that is sure to come in handy.
There were also lively performances from Murphy, who scored a lovely goal and nearly got an assist, as well as Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon, who both worked hard and looked sharp.
Newcastle were really strong on the flanks last season and that looks set to continue.
Newcastle United’s weaknesses laid bare, not long left to sort them
Yet, the weaknesses in the squad continued to be laid bare.
A near total lack of options up front is cause for great concern, but the lack of quality back-up in midfield areas is also obvious, given Howe was forced to switch from 4-3-3 to 5-4-1 in the second half.
Newcastle looked flat and played deep after the break, with little spark in the attacking third other than brief moments of individualism from Murphy and Barnes or Osula’s strong running.
The Magpies were supposed to use this summer to enhance Howe’s options so he wasn’t having to rely on his strongest starting XI, but there has been little improvement on that front, yet.
As much as it’s nice to see Jamaal Lascelles back in action, Newcastle should have moved on from him by now.
Howe at least knows he needs signings but, with three weeks to go until the season starts and many top targets already moved elsewhere, it’s going to take a miracle for the window to be successful.
The manager said in a press conference after the game: “We’re not deluded.
“We know we need to bring players in. We’ve known that. We know what we wanted. It’s been a challenging window.”
Alex Murphy does well, despite his shocking own goal
Alex Murphy might not be feeling great after the game but he should take a bit of pride from his performance.
Yes, he achieved the exact opposite aim of a defender when he managed to rifle the ball into the corner of his own net with a hell of a finish.
Yet, before that mishap, Murphy was more than holding his own against one of the best forwards in the league in Saka.
The Irishman was also positive on the ball, always looking to move forward, with a good touch, even if he was given several hospital passes from Pope.
After also looking good against Celtic, Murphy might play himself into Howe’s plans if he keeps it up. Though maybe he should try scoring in the other goal next time.
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