Ruthless Newcastle expose Southampton as pressure mounts on Ralph Hasenhuttl
Newcastle #Newcastle
This game looked like what it was: a confident, well-organised team with serious designs on Europe up against a side in difficulties at the wrong end of the table. And if Newcastle United did not always show top-four quality in its purest sense, they certainly exhibited the ruthlessness in front of goal that separates achievers from strugglers.
Miguel Almiron gave them a first-half lead with his seventh goal in as many games, and two goals in two minutes from substitute Chris Wood and Joe Willock killed off any hopes Southampton might have had of getting back into the game as they had against Arsenal a fortnight ago.
It was the Newcastle’s fourth Premier League victory in succession and consigned Southampton to back-to-back defeats. After one win in nine games, the chants of ‘sacked in the morning’ directed by the visiting fans at Ralph Hasenhuttl must have taken on a worrying edge for the Austrian coach. A defiant late goal from Romain Perraud was some small consolation, but was followed immediately by Newcastle’s fourth, from Bruno Guimaraes.
Jacob Murphy replaced the suspended Joelinton for the visitors, while Hasenhuttl made four changes to the team beaten at Crystal Palace nine days ago – but to little avail.
Newcastle gave a dominant first-half display, albeit one that gave them only a single-goal lead. Their attacks exuded confidence and assurance, with the home side able to do very little to hinder them. Only a fingertip from the diving Gavin Bazunu prevented Callum Wilson from tapping the ball home at the far post after Willock had given Sean Longstaff the chance to flight in a dangerous cross.
Southampton had little to offer in return apart from long throw-ins taken by Mohammed Salisu, although the second caused difficulties for Nick Pope, who was momentarily stranded out of his ground only to be rescued by defenders crowding out the Saints attack. And Pope atoned with a good save when Perraud shot hard and low towards his near post.
At the other end, the low sun was causing problems for Bazunu, who completely missed a corner-kick and was grateful to Salisu for clearing as the ball was headed goalwards. Then a raised flag against Wilson rescued him after he had kicked the ball straight out to Almiron.
Almiron then claimed confidently but in vain for handball against Salisu when he should have gone past the defender. But his moment was coming. It might have arrived when his volley was blocked after Murphy touched Kieran Trippier’s deep cross into his path. In the event it came when he took possession 40 yards out after Wilson had challenged and set off for goal. Maitland-Niles tried to intercept, but the Paraguayan pirouetted around him and struck a low shot past Bazunu with his left foot. It was his seveth goal in seven games.
Longstaff should have doubled the lead five minutes later but nodded over the bar after Joe Willock had exchanged passes with Murphy and crossed from the left.
Saints, though, could and perhaps should have equalised in added time at the end of the first half. Stuart Armstrong crossed hard and low from the right and Mohamed Elyounoussi charged in behind Trippier only to slam his shot wide of the far post.
Chris Wood replaced Wilson, who had been ill earlier in the week, at the interval, but if the home side imagined the change would make their lives easier, they would be disappointed. Two minutes after Adams blasted wastefully wide when Elyounoussi’s cross found him unmarked and in space, Wood turned on a loose ball in the penalty area to plant the ball into the far corner of the net.
It was the New Zealand international striker’s first Premier League goal of the season and almost immediately, Tripper’s pass sent Willock charging clear of defenders to roll the third past the left hand of the diving Bazunu.
Perraud pulled one back, sidestepping Dan Burn before finding the top far corner, but Newcastle seemed to take that as an insult and Guimaraes curled home a fourth from 25 yards.
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