William Osula made his first start for Newcastle United on Tuesday evening in the Carabao Cup clash against AFC Wimbledon.
Newcastle were far from their best against the League Two opposition but they booked their spot in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a 1-0 win.
The Magpies never really got going, but Miguel Almiron won a penalty on his return which was calmly finished by Fabian Schar on the brink of half-time.
Eddie Howe made eight changes to his starting lineup and gave a first start to £10m summer signing William Osula up front.
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William Osula’s performance vs AFC Wimbledon
With Alexander Isak still struggling with a toe injury, Tuesday’s cup tie was a perfect opportunity for Howe to test Osula up front.
The 21-year-old’s only other minutes this season came in a late substitute cameo in the “awful” 3-1 defeat to Fulham last week.
Osula started brightly and had a chance to open his goalscoring account for Newcastle just a few minutes in, but his effort was saved.
Newcastle continued to dominate possession, but Osula was forced to feed off scraps with Howe’s side struggling for ideas and creativity.
The young Danish forward did have chances to show off his lightning pace, but ultimately it was a difficult evening for him to get on the ball and showcase his potential.
He ended the match with only 19 touches and two shots but he also completed 100 percent of his passes.
Signs the Newcastle fans will ‘love’ William Osula
Newcastle fans got their first real glimpse of Osula against Wimbledon and pundit Pat Nevin is confident the St James’ Park faithful will love him.
Via BBC Sport, Nevin said: ““Osula, that sort of work rate he put in, that battling.
“You hear the reaction around this ground, that’s what they want first and foremost.
“The skills can come later, as long as he’s got the passion for that black and white shirt they’ll love him.”
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As frustrating of a night as it was for Osula, there can be no question marks around his work rate. He continue to make runs in the box in an attempt to find space and he pressed well when Newcastle surrendered the ball.
There were certainly promising signs from Newcastle’s new forward.
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