Heading into today’s Premier League showdown with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United found themselves winless from their opening three league fixtures.
Thankfully, that early-season curse has now been lifted as Eddie Howe’s Magpies just about got the better of the travelling Old Gold courtesy of a debut strike from £69m buy Nick Woltemade, who was thrust straight into action by the Toon boss.
Woltemade’s game-winning strike fell at the perfect time for the Tyneside hosts after Wolves had threatened with some early first-half efforts. Thankfully, while Vitor Pereira’s away side were wasteful, the home side were more clinical, with the ex-Stuttgart man heading home a teasing Jacob Murphy cross to break the deadlock.
Woltemade wasn’t the only inspired inclusion in Howe’s XI, however, as the 47-year-old reintroduced Joelinton back into the first team fold, who worked excellently alongside the duo of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali during the 1-0 victory.
Guimaraes and Tonali’s relationship
Both Guimaraes and Tonali are solid first-team faces at this point, with both players in question starting every possible league game they can so far this season.
The Magpies’ number 39 wasn’t quite at his accurate best centrally with the ball at his feet, as seen in him relinquishing possession a near costly 19 times, but the forceful Newcastle captain did still make his presence known with six ground duels won during the tight win.
While Guimaraes wasn’t quite at his confident best roaming forward, his Italian counterpart was certainly lively in this capacity, with the energetic number eight even hitting the woodwork with one of his three efforts in a bid to make the victory more comprehensive.
With Joelinton also thrown back in the mix after injury, it must be rather easy for Howe to pick his midfield personnel when everyone is fit and firing, knowing he will get consistent greatness out of those at his disposal.
Other partnerships across the pitch will equally make Howe beam from ear to ear, with one duo, in particular, standing out once more against Wolves to now stake a claim at being even more important than the aforementioned duo of Guimaraes and Tonali.
Trippier & Murphy are looking like Howe’s “best” pairing
Woltemade will hope, in time, that he can form a partnership that is held in high regard at St James’ Park, with Alexander Isak once bouncing off the likes of Anthony Gordon for fun, before he exited the building for Liverpool.
Newcastle’s right-hand side clearly boasts a healthy working relationship based on the 1-0 win, as both Kieran Trippier and Murphy worked together in harmony throughout to guide Howe’s men to a much-needed three points.
Trippier + Murphy Stats
Stat
Trippier
Murphy
Minutes played
90
89
Goals scored
0
0
Assists
0
1
Touches
96
51
Shots
0
4
Accurate passes
53/68 (78%)
17/26 (65%)
Key passes
5
1
Successful dribbles
0/0
2/3
Total duels won
4/6
3/5
Stats by Sofascore
Between them down the right-hand side, both Trippier and Murphy would amass a whopping six key passes from their combined 147 touches of the ball, with the right winger ultimately picking up the assist that saw Woltemade break his Magpies duck to hand Howe’s men a win.
But, away from their constant creativity, both the hard-working number two and the number 23 also won their fair share of duels to keep Wolves at bay, with a combined duels won count of seven come the full-time whistle.
This split-second ability to create, but also fight for their team’s cause, certainly puts them on the same pedestal as Guimaraes and Tonali, with journalist Craig Hope stating during the match that they make a “big difference” when together on the pitch, as the pair have the “best” understanding as a partnership.
This is high praise, indeed, with Murphy hopeful he can remain a part of Howe’s first team plans, even with Anthony Elanga breathing down his neck as a new £55m recruit.
Trippier, despite being 34 years of age, will also hope he has plenty more first-team minutes heading his direction, as Newcastle tries to build on these three points against Pereira’s visitors, with a Champions League humdinger against Barcelona next on the menu.