Callum Wilson scored a brace to help Newcastle produce one of the most comfortable football results of the weekend in the Premier League. Stuart Armstrong scored a startling goal from close range for the Premier League underdogs late in the first half after the hosts had seen Anthony Gordon strike a post. Wilson was replaced by Gordon at the break, and Wilson quickly equalized before the VAR ruled off a second goal for offside. Theo Walcott’s own-goal at a corner and Wilson’s subsequent addition of a third goal, which strengthened Newcastle’s position in the top four and put Southampton six points outside of safety, did not allow Southampton to escape for long.
Within 60 seconds, Kyle Walker-Peters of Southampton forced Nick Pope into a save, despite Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes of the hosts coming close. However, Gordon missed Newcastle’s best opportunity, so they failed to register a shot on goal in the opening period. The winger’s low effort missed the left post after Alexander Isak had played him through. Prior to seizing the opportunity to launch a counterattack, Southampton managed to contain the Magpies. Armstrong scored from within the six-yard box after Romeo Lavia stole the ball from Guimaraes in midfield and put Carlos Alcaraz free. Kamaldeen Sulemana then crossed the ball to Armstrong, who dribbled in front of Kieran Trippier.
Wilson was substituted in for Gordon at halftime, and he had an immediate impact. McCarthy stopped Sven Botman from a few yards away, but a minute later Isak crossed the ball from the left, and Wilson side-footed it in. Wilson’s header was deflected over and Joe Willock’s low attempt was saved as Newcastle controlled the second half. After the ball bounced off Miguel Almiron, the striker thought he had given the home team the lead when he poked in, but a thorough VAR review revealed he was in an offside position.
But only five minutes later, Botman headed on a Trippier corner, which rebounded off Walcott and into his own goal. A few seconds later, Wilson rounded McCarthy and tapped in to seal the points. When Wilson’s attempt hit the top of the crossbar and fell back onto it, there was still time for him to be denied a hat trick.
“The first half was frustrating for us. We were unable to go past Southampton and score the crucial opening goal because they played effectively and were well-defended. The second half, though, was excellent. With us behind 1-0, it was a crucial time, and the players performed really well in the second half,” Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said. “We played with genuine restraint. We didn’t get frantic in our pursuit of the goal. We maintained our patience while acting wisely, and we were rewarded for it. We’re in a terrific spot because we’re successful, and confident, and the players have faith in our ability to prevail in football games. The next game is against Arsenal, and while we like the challenge, we don’t take anything for granted.”
“We had the game going strong. In order to provide a strong performance and get three points, we understood what to do. Although we would have preferred to have had a little bit more possession in the first half, we were fine in those specific moments and transactions,” Southampton boss Ruben Selles said. “The game slightly shifted in the second half. They presented a different tactical approach, with Isak on the left. Although we made an effort to make up for it, we really struggled to find our identity in the second half. We will fight for it here until the very end, as I have made quite clear from the first. In the next game, let’s see if we can do it for 90 to 95 minutes. We dramatically lowered our level in the second part of today’s game.”
With today’s victory, Newcastle has now amassed 65 points in the Premier League this season (W18 D11 L4), surpassing their previous high mark of that number from 2011–12, when they were the only team to finish with more points. Southampton has not won in either of their past nine league contests (D3 L6) or in either of their last two contests in which they have scored first (D1 L1). In fact, the Saints in 2022–23 (4) have lost less games while scoring first than Leicester (6), Nottingham Forest (5), and West Ham (both 5).
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