‘Superb’… Pundit was seriously impressed with three Newcastle players against Fulham

Add as preferred source on Google

Newcastle United were nowhere near their best against Fulham on Saturday night, but there were still some impressive performances as the Magpies advanced in the FA Cup.

Goals from Sean Longstaff and Dan Burn were enough to put Newcastle through to the next round of the competition, as fans continue to dream about another trip to Wembley.

It was far from a vintage performance from Eddie Howe’s side. Dan Burn admitted that after the final whistle, after he netted his fourth goal of the season. This is one of his most prolific seasons ever, with six being his best ever tally. That came in 2017/18 when he was playing for Wigan Athletic.

He was one of Newcastle’s best performers against Fulham in the FA Cup on Saturday night, and was actually given the man of the match award.

It was a dominant display from the 31-year-old, and he was one of three players who were picked out for praise by pundit Don Hutchison.

Don Hutchison picks out three ‘superb’ Newcastle players

During the game, Don Hutchison told BBC Radio 5 Live that three members of Newcastle’s back four were playing superbly.

“I don’t think Dan Burn, Sven Botman or Fabian Schar have lost a header back there,” he said.

“They’ve been superb.”

Newcastle’s giants stand tall against Fulham

While Newcastle were not great overall, they were solid enough at the back. That was largely down to the efforts of Burn, Sven Botman and Fabian Schar, who were all superb as Hutchison says.

They were completely dominant in the air, dealing with pretty much every cross that Fulham hurled into the box. Their size and power was crucial, and allowed the Magpies to pick up a vital clean sheet.

Newcastle’s success last season was built on a solid defence, but it has not been as resilient during the current campaign. But it looked like normal service had resumed on Saturday night, with Fulham struggling to do anything with the pressure they put Newcastle under.

We also saw Newcastle use their strength in the air at the opposite end of the pitch. The first goal came from Burn’s knock down, while the second was a result of Botman’s goal-bound effort.

While Newcastle were not great, the three players who Hutchison picked out can certainly be happy with their contributions.