Newcastle United could not find a way past Brighton on Saturday.
Though drawing with the Seagulls can hardly be deemed a poor result, it does mean Newcastle have left the door open for Manchester United and Chelsea in the battle for Europa League qualification.
Indeed, it was a day in the Premier League on which Eddie Howe’s side failed to get going.
While they did well to respond through Sean Longstaff, Newcastle didn’t look all too threatening for much for the contest.
Anthony Gordon was unlucky to have seen a goal ruled out by VAR but it would be perhaps too much to suggest Newcastle outright deserved all three points.
Longstaff, who Howe has hailed as Newcastle’s “unsung hero” this season, made some interesting comments after the game.
Sean Longstaff says the weather had an impact during Newcastle vs Brighton
The midfielder suggested that the heat on Tyneside on a particularly warm day saw Newcastle struggle to compete at their very best physically.
He told Andy Sixsmith on X, formerly Twitter, “Frustrating. We huffed and puffed a little. It was 30 degrees outside – quite hot, quite difficult for a running and pressing team!
“But we forced things a little. I think you only know by the end of the weekend what it means for Europe. We have to make sure we win our last two and see where it lands us at the end. Massive game against Manchester Utd – whenever you play Man Utd it’s a huge game.”
Sean Longstaff struggled in the heat for Newcastle
Granted, he scored the goal on the day but Longstaff was not at his best for Newcastle.
According to WhoScored data, the 26-year-old failed to register a tackle or an interception on the day. Given his averages for them stand at 1.6 and 0.5 per game respectively this season, it’s clear to see he wasn’t at his very best.
The heat is an understandable factor of course, though it was the same for Brighton too.
Still, this stage of the season requires only results. Good performances would be nice but it’s about getting over the line.
Let’s hope for an improvement at Manchester United on Wednesday. This is Newcastle’s version of a cup final this season.
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