Newcastle United’s win over Wolves on Sunday was a real smash and grab.
The Magpies preserved their unbeaten start to the season, with Harvey Barnes’ screamer giving Newcastle United a 2-1 win at Molineux.
It was another undeserved victory for Newcastle United, who are now third in the Premier League after four games.
While the performance level will concern Eddie Howe, he will have no issues with the results or the application of his players.
Even when Newcastle were not at their best, they still dug in and ensured they stayed in the game, then defended resolutely after going ahead.
Lloyd Kelly was Newcastle’s unsung hero against Wolves
Newcastle sat in and protected their lead for the final 10 minutes of the game.
That was by design, with Eddie Howe going from four at the back to a defensive five.
The Newcastle United manager made quite a brave decision in the 87th minute, taking off his captain Bruno Guimaraes in favour of Lloyd Kelly. It was a very defensive substitution, and Kelly quickly signalled to his teammates that they would be finishing the game with five at the back.
Howe recognised that his team were going to be asked to defend, and got another body in a key area.
Kelly came on and was commanding. While he was only on the pitch for around 10 minutes, he played an important role in the Magpies picking up all three points.
The 25-year-old barely put a foot wrong once he came on, providing a sense of calmness that was essential in getting over the line.
He summed up why he was brought to the club with his cameo at Molineux. Kelly is a great professional, a leader and an excellent defender. He showcased all those qualities on Sunday, as Newcastle snatched three points away from Wolves to go third in the Premier League.
| Position | Team | PlayedMP | WonW | DrawnD | LostL | ForGF | AgainstGA | DiffGD | PointsPts |
| 1 |  Man CityManchester City | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 12 |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| 3 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| 4 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 9 |
Eddie Howe is using his bench brilliantly this season
Last season, Howe rarely had a proper bench that he could rely on to make changes in a game.
It is a different story this season, with Howe’s substitutions playing a key role in what has been an impressive opening four games.
The away draw with Bournemouth was inspired by Harvey Barnes, who came off the bench to set up Newcastle’s equaliser.
The win over Wolves also saw Howe use his bench, with a triple substitution at half time proving to be pivotal. But even Howe’s other two subs made a difference, with Kieran Trippier receiving huge praise from Jamie Redknapp.
Kelly was the final player to come on, and he played his part in a narrow victory for Newcastle United.
For the first time in a year, Howe has a squad of players. He can look to his bench and bring on someone to change the game, and that is exactly what he is doing.
Howe’s in-game management has been very good so far, and that is epitomised by the decision to sit back and play five in defence against Wolves. It was a case of win by any means necessary, and Kelly contributed towards Newcastle getting over the line.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
