Had it not been for Martin Dubravka, Newcastle could have been on the end of a hammering courtesy of Liverpool.
The Reds were pretty dominant at St James’ Park, but only returned to the North West with a 1-0 win. It was all they needed, ensuring they kept pace at the top of the Premier League.
Eddie Howe’s side had their moments, but never really looked like they would get anything from the game. There’s no shame in that – Liverpool are one of, if not the best team in the world right now.
Jurgen Klopp’s men got the job done, but they would have won even more comfortably had Dubravka not been on his game.
Heading into the summer, this performance came at the perfect time for Newcastle’s number one.
Martin Dubravka proves Newcastle don’t need another goalkeeper
For all it was only 1-0, Liverpool created a lot of chances. And Dubravka was equal to all but one of them.
The Slovakian was in inspired form on Saturday, making save after save to ensure his side weren’t embarrassed. He was clearly Newcastle’s man of the match, on an afternoon where the Toon struggled to lay a glove on Liverpool.
With three games remaining and Premier League safety all but confirmed, a lot of attentions are turning to the transfer window. It’s set to be a huge summer at St James’ Park.
Players will come and go, and there has been speculation that Newcastle could sign a new goalkeeper. Manchester United’s Dean Henderson has been heavily linked with a move to the North East.
But Dubravka proved on Saturday that he doesn’t need to be replaced. At 33-years-old, he’s hardly the future for Newcastle, but he deserves to be the present.
Newcastle have plenty of other positions that need strengthening before bringing in a new number one.