Monday night proved an arduous one for Newcastle United.
Eddie Howe saw his side beaten at Chelsea in the Premier League, with the eventual 3-2 scoreline flattering Newcastle.
Indeed, it was another difficult game on the road for the Magpies, who have not enjoyed their trips to London of late. Beaten by Arsenal and Tottenham this season and having drawn with West Ham, the capital has not been a happy place for Howe.
It was an eventful game at Stamford Bridge. Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring before Alexander Isak levelled in the first-half. Goals from Cole Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk, however, gave Newcastle far too much to do before Jacob Murphy’s late thunderbolt gave them hope of a grandstand finish.
Jackson’s goal was picked apart by Gary Neville, who found fault with Martin Dubravka.
Martin Dubravka: Gary Neville slams Newcastle star
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said of the 35-year-old: “It’s been a struggle since Martin Dubravka took over from Nick Pope earlier in the season.
“It felt a little bit strange. You know when the ball goes in the back of the net and you’re thinking ‘where is the goalkeeper?’ It was one of those.
“The touch from Jackson actually meant the ball went closer to the goalkeeper but he still got nowhere near it.”
Martin Dubravka: A shame for Newcastle goalkeeper
There were initially doubts about Dubravka following the injury to Nick Pope. He has since recovered from that early dip in form and was excellent against Blackburn in the FA Cup, so to see him take a step back is a worry – particularly with Pope not expected back until next month.
While he may have been unsighted when reacting to Jackson’s improvised flick, Neville does have a point. If Pope had been playing, do Newcastle concede that goal? It’s impossible to say of course but they would surely have stood a better chance of keeping it out.
Dubravka has broadly done well since being thrust into the firing line but moments like that only serve to underline why Howe was reportedly so gutted to have lost Pope.
It will be fantastic to see him back once he’s ready to return to action.
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