Newcastle United kept up their hopes of Champions League qualification on Sunday.
While it was hardly a vintage performance, Newcastle United left Brighton with what could be a crucial Premier League point following a 1-1 draw.
Former (well, technically) Newcastle player Yankuba Minteh gave the Seagulls the lead with a first-half strike but Alexander Isak would respond from the penalty spot in the dying embers of the game, after Eddie Howe’s side had seen two penalty calls overturned.
It may not have been Newcastle at their best but taking a point away from the Amex Stadium feels positive, given they haven’t won there since 2017. Now, it means Newcastle can surely start dreaming about the Champions League again if they win their two remaining home games.
The performance wasn’t brilliant but they found a way to get back into the game at the very least. Former Newcastle striker Michael Owen, however, was not overly pleased with Tino Livramento’s contribution.
Michael Owen takes aim at Tino Livramento
Speaking on Premier League Productions, Owen said Livramento was at fault for Minteh’s opener.
Rather than engage the Brighton winger, Livramento allowed him to cut inside and shift past Sandro Tonali before curling one into the corner of the net, while a slight deflection off Dan Burn helped it on its way.
“It could have been avoided at the back there, defensively Livramento clears it before locking back on to Minteh but he could have sent him on the outside,” he said.
Tino Livramento’s stats vs Brighton
Livramento has been excellent for Newcastle this season but the 22-year-old was not at his best in an attacking sense on Sunday.
Still, per SofaScore data, he performed well in a defensive sense.
Livramento won four of his five ground duels, although he did lose possession nine times. He made two tackles and was dribbled past once, while finding the target with 41 of his attempted 48 passes (85%).
| Clearances | Tackles | Dribbled past | Possession lost | Ground duels (won) |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 (4) |
It’s unlikely to go down in history as one of Livramento’s better performances but, goal aside, he did a reasonably solid job defensively.
Given how tight the margins are in the Premier League table this season, it could be important.
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