Newcastle are a decent outfit.
There is a reason why they finished 4th last season, why no other Premier League side lost less in 2022/23. Why this season they have already beaten PSG and Manchester City at St James Park.
They are a big, strong physical side, well drilled by Eddie Howe.
Just 3 home Premier League defeats since the beginning of last season – twice against Liverpool and once against The Arsenal.
St James Park has gone from being filled with whinging losers to whinging winners. When Newcastle are playing well, the ground is a fortress. When they are playing poor, the crowd quickly disappears.
In the last season and a bit, their home Premier League record reads: P 24 W 15 D 6 L 3. So any Arsenal fan that expected the team to rock up and take 3-points without breaking a sweat were deluded.
Their victory yesterday over us took them back into the top 6. They need to be considered a big player in the Premier League, and a visit to St James Park should now be up there with the likes of Anfield as dangerous away trips.
I actually thought we played well, but Newcastle did what they did in many games last season and ground out a win.
The Kai Havertz situation certainly got the locals blood boiling, but I think the ref got it spot on.
From inside the stadium, the challenge looked dangerous and reckless. Havertz flying in late and high and taking Sean Longstaff out. But on replay, it was clear that Havertz’s leading foot got nowhere near Longstaff and the contact was minimal with the back foot.
I fully see why their players and fans were angry. They had mis-read the situation. I am sure if the situation was reversed our players and fans would have reacted in the same way. But the ref kept his clam whilst others around him last their head and read the situation spot on.
As Havertz got nowhere near Longstaff, the challenge could not be considered dangerous. And whilst it does not need contact for it to be dangerous, Longstaff did not need to take avoiding action to prevent a bad injury. Therefore, the lack of contact removed the dangerous element.
I am not soo sure how VAR decided that Bruno Guimaraes did not deserve a straight red for his challenge. Elbowing an opponent in the head whilst not challenging for the ball is clearly violent conduct. They got that one wrong.
As for their goal, I am satisfied that the correct checks were done and the officials were right to give it.
The ball being out is a bit like the Japan one against Germany last year. The angle can be misleading. It is incredible though that we have not invested in the same technology as used on the goal line to provide a 100% accurate result.
The foul wass one of them. If the ref gave it, the decision would have stood. As it is he did not and VAR stuck with the decision.
I do wonder whether they should adopt a cricket stance of the onfield ref giving a “soft signal”.
Onfield officials are encouraged to keep their flag down, or not blow up. This makes it seem like they did not think there was an infringement and VAR then back the ref.
If the onfield ref can give a soft signal – ie “I thought it was a foul but let play go on just in cae it was not” then we would have more clarity on VAR not overturning (or giving them a chance to overturn more). A lack of decision by the onfield ref should not automatically think there was no infringement.
The time it took VAr to make their decision also came in for some critcism.
On one hand, we demand VAR take their time to ensure decisions are correct, then on the other we moan how long they take. As a fan of rugby and cricket, we will just have to get used to VAR not having the capability to always make an immediate or swift decision.
Our unbeaten start to the Premier League is over, and the fact we are in 5th shows just how tight it is at the top – had we beaten Newcastle we could have gone top.
The Premier League looks strong this season.
Manchester City and Newcastle have certainly not gone backwards, whilst Liverpool and Tottenham are both better than last season. Throw in Aston Villa and there sensational form, it will be a campaign where teams will lose plenty.
Last season, Manchester City won the league with 5 defeats. They were to Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham away and Brentford away (the last coming after the title was won), sand Brentford at home. They have already lost twice this season to Arsenal and Wolves.
I expect this years league winners to lose at least 5 games again. Therefore it is important when we do lose, and we will lose again, we do not overact as a fan base. We do not act like it is doom and gloom.
We should not over analyse every defeat, every draw, every poor performance. It will become tiring very quickly and just led to negative actors trying to create divisions within the fan base,
There is no shame in losing at St James Park. What is important is that we dust ourselves down and go again.
Things change quickly in football. We could have been 1st today, instead we sit 5th. Looking at our upcoming fixtures, things will change quickly again.
UTA.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
Im not sure all the checks were done. Man united hoiland goal was disallowed for going off, and that did not look as obvious as this one. i get its inconclusive, but than how do we get different outcomes from two situations that are almost identical? Also the foul on gabriel.. saw plenty of newcastle defenders winning cheap FK outside the box from a finger touch, shocking how that stood. And than there is the offside.. and the handball. how fans can spot these in the moment and officials whose jobs it is do to so cannot is nothing short of a disgrace
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Would have took a draw before the game and thought we well merited a point. Actually thought we played well and controlled most of the game. Disagree with you about their goal, from the angle VAR had, the ball is clearly out. It was just as clear as the goal Man Utd had ruled out against Brighton. The foul on Big Gabi was 50-50. I personally don`t think it is a foul but in the modern game, you expect them to be given and you can guarantee you`ll see referees up and down the country blowing their whistle and giving a foul for that next weekend. As for the Offside, he was behind play so looked onside to me. Mind you, they fuck about with the rules so much, I doubt I could even explain the new offside rules anymore.
You`re right about their crowd, I live up here now. They`ve always been the same, take the sting out the game in the opening 10-15 minutes and they go quiet. The only time they wake up is when they think they`ve been on the end of a dodgy call.
Havertz – who otherwise, played quite well – dropped us right in it. Stupid, stupid thing to do. We had done the hard part, sent the crowd to sleep and his challenge just riled up the fans and players. I think we`d have definitely gone onto win the game had he kept his head.
Some teams definitely get preferential treatment though, If we played like Newcastle, we`d end up playing with 9 men every week. They`ve got 5 or 6 players who leave something on you every challenge. The likes of Trippier, Burn, Schar, Joelinton, Longstaff and Guimaraes are persistent offenders. I don`t know how they get away with it, maybe its the “plucky Geordie” image or something.
Anyway, as you say, what`s important now is that we pick ourselves up and go again. Got to try and go on another long unbeaten run and with the fixtures we`ve got coming up we`re more than capable of doing it.
Up The Arse.
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