‘Was a giant’: Eddie Howe is so grateful for what rarely seen £12m Newcastle player did vs Arsenal

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Newcastle United are leaning heavily on their squad right now, and that was evident once again on Saturday night against Arsenal.

Tino Livramento got his longest runout in the Premier League since joining Newcastle, while Jamaal Lascelles continues to shine at the back in the absence of Sven Botman.

They both did very well against Arsenal, in a game that was decided by Anthony Gordon’s controversial second half strike.

From that moment, Newcastle dug in and battled for everything. Howe’s players were like warriors, putting their bodies on the line.

That is exactly what Jacob Murphy did, and it led to him suffering a reoccurrence of his shoulder injury.

That forced Howe to make a substitution in the 80th minute, as he brought Matt Ritchie on for his first Premier League appearance of the season. The 34-year-old is an important player behind the scenes, but rarely gets to represent the club on the pitch.

But he did against Arsenal, and Eddie Howe was very happy with what he saw from the £12million man.

Eddie Howe delighted with ‘professional’ Matt Ritchie against Arsenal

After the 1-0 win over Arsenal, Howe spoke to NUFC TV and was very grateful for Ritchie’s contribution off the bench.

“Matty’s come on and helped us defend the lead,” he said.

“I thought he was diligent, professional, knew his role and was a giant from set pieces, which is not something I would ever associate with him.

“But it just goes to show that everyone is giving more. Matty’s got incredible experience, he’s a real galvaniser and positive influence in the group. He’s really valued by all of us.”

Newcastle veteran helps Magpies over the line

Just days after starting Newcastle’s win over Manchester United, Ritchie was called upon again on Saturday.

It was a big ask for him to come on at such a pivotal time against Arsenal, but he did what was asked of him and helped the Magpies get over the line.

As Howe says, there were even some huge headers from corners to clear away danger, which is not what you would associate Ritchie with.

It makes the win even more special when it includes players like Ritchie. He has been so important over the years, and it is excellent to see that he still has a role at this incarnation of Newcastle United.