It’s been a long time since some Newcastle United fans saw Sean Longstaff start a game. But with Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Willock ruled out with illness against Chelsea, Eddie Howe gave him the nod.
The midfielder started alongside Bruno Guimaraes and held his own in the middle of the park. Overall it was a battling performance from the Magpies as they lost 1-0 away. But from a performance perspective, Newcastle players can hold their heads high.
Things could’ve been very different had firstly Kai Havertz been given a sending off for his elbow on Dan Burn. The German ended up scoring the winning goal for Chelsea. Also, the Toon should’ve been given a penalty when Trevor Chalobah pulled Jacob Murphy’s shirt.
With Newcastle’s midfield options deplated, Longstaff filled in well
Longstaff’s performance against Chelsea is another example of how well Howe has done for Newcastle this season. With injuries to a number of players so far this season, the manager has been able to get the best out of the fringe players.
Considering the Magpies were playing one of the top sides in the league, Longstaff did better than expected. It makes you wonder how they would’ve done had Shelvey and Willock been well enough to play.
At times the 24-year-old was a bit sloppy on the ball but I think considering how little he’s played and the opposition, it was a good performance.
With so many options in midfield, he’s found it hard to break into the Newcastle side. However, Eddie Howe has spoken well of Longstaff in the past.
The Toon boss has described him as “unlucky” in the past, per NUFC TV. But it’s just been a case of other midfielder impressing Howe and making it a challenge to put Longstaff into the starting XI.
With Howe getting so much right at Newcastle, his use of getting the best out of the fringe players has gone under the radar. Longstaff’s performance against Chelsea is an example of that, holding his own against one of the best sides in the league.
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