‘Half the player of last season’ - Newcastle fans blast recently-returned star for clueless display in Wolves defeat

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It was a tense match at St James’ Park as Wolverhampton Wanderers edge past Newcastle 2-1.

Wolves took the lead with just 16 minutes on the clock, Helder Costa picking out Diogo Jota with an inch-perfect cross, who controlled the ball beautifully before dispatching expertly past Martin Debravka.

That lead would last less than 10 minutes, as Rafa Benitez’s side responded almost instantaneously, Salomon Rondon’s thunderous free-kick struck the bar before he delivered the resulting clearance back into the box and onto the head of Ayoze Perez, who flicked it past Rui Patricio.

Newcastle were made to play the final half an hour with a numerical disadvantage after DeAndre Yedlin picked up a red card, and much to the despair of the Toon faithful, were unable to hold on as Matt Doherty grabbed a last-gasp winner.

So after a tense match, who were the winners and losers?

Winner: Diogo Jota

Having found the back of the net 17 times in the league last season, Wolves fans would have been hoping the Portuguese forward would be able to replicate that form this season. However, he began the campaign in tentative fashion, failing to find the back of the net in his opening 13 matches.

That form has now diminished as the former Atletico Madrid player is up and running, scoring in consecutive games for the first time since April, after he opened his account against Chelsea midweek; he grabbed the winner on Wednesday night, and played a chief role this afternoon.

The goal itself was well taken: a scintillating Costa delivery managed to evade the Magpies defence before Jota chested down the ball and then fired clinically past a hapless Debravka in the Newcastle goal – his persistence was also enough to see Yedlin bring him down and see red.

And so, it took a while but Jota is now beginning to demonstrate the sort of prolific form that inspired Wolves to the the Championship title last term; for a team who have only found the back of the net just 17 times this campaign, Jota’s goals will go along way to alleviating that frustration.

Loser: Jamaal Lascelles

The Newcastle captain returned from a shoulder injury midweek having spent a month on the sidelines, but there have been discernible question marks about, not only his performances against both Everton and Wolves, but also during the start of the campaign.

The Derby-born defender was imperious last season and draw widespread adulation for his commanding performances at the back, prompting West Ham to make a £25m bid during the summer transfer window.

However, the 25-year-old looks a shadow of his former self, and while reports of a training ground bust-up with Benitez were played down earlier this term, there is still huge concern on Tyneside that the club’s once trusted and reliable centre-back is not the player he once was.

The Newcastle faithful are never afraid to vent their frustration and they are clearly not happy with their current skipper at the moment, with many vexed at his defending, especially for Wolves’ opening goal.

Winner: Salomon Rondon

Rondon has played a significant role in four of Newcastle’s previous six Premier League goals, scoring three and registering one assist, while he has also been directly involved in the last three on Tyneside.

The Venezuela international turned provider this afternoon in very atypical Rondon fashion, whipping in a delectable curling cross to tee up Perez, who duly glanced a well-timed header past Patricio.

But it was not just the on-loan West Bromwich Albion striker’s goalscoring involvement that impressed at St James’ Park this afternoon, he worked tirelessly in the final third, constantly pressing the Wolves defence and closing down Patricio.

With the loss of Aleksandar Mitrovic over the summer, who continues to impress at Fulham, Rondon’s impressive No. 9 performances have been crucial to Newcastle’s recent resurgence, and a permanent move is looking all the more likely this summer.

Loser: Adama Traore

The hulking forward has almost become synonymous with the term ‘super-sub’ due to his imposing physicality and sheer speed, but he was given a starting berth this afternoon, just his third of the season.

So, with a chance to impress and stake a claim in the XI, Traore would have known that this was a massive opportunity to showcase his worth in an effort to supplant Raul Jimenez, who has started the season in fine form.

Customarily a winger, Traore was utilised as a centre-forward this game, but failed to impress and really trouble the Newcastle defence – making just 25 touches during his time on the pitch and not registering a single shot.

Jimenez has been essential this season, while Jota has started to find the back of the net and Costa is seemingly unmovable, so it is looking unlikely that Traore will be able to displace any of the trio if this afternoon’s performance is anything to go by.

Winner: Nuno Espirito Santo

Having gone six games without a win, Wolves shocked the Premier League on Wednesday night after beating Chelsea 2-1, they have now followed that sensational performance up with a win against Newcastle, taking them back into the top half of the table.

The two victories come after Espirito Santo abandoned his tried-and-tested starting XI and began to tinker with his tactics, making six changes to his side across the previous two matches, which is more than his has made than in his previous 13 combined (five).

Victory ensures that Espirito Santo has now inflicted the first ever defeat on Benitez from a newly-promoted club, while the West Midlands side have also beaten Newcastle for the first time ever in the Premier League.

Having made wholesale changes, Wolves are beginning to show that they are not quite as reliant on what seemed like an unshakeable starting XI at the Strat of campaign as many had originally thought – the club have now shown strength in depth and Espirito Santo is rediscovering his early verve.

Loser: DeAndre Yedlin

With the match heavily poised at one a piece, Newcastle were reduced to 10 men after Yedlin brought down Jota after losing the ball to the Portuguese forward; the full-back tried to rectify his mistake after being dispossessed but only succeeding in fouling Jota.

Mike Dean wasted no time in brandishing a red card despite substantial protests from the Newcastle players, as well as Benitez on the sideline who was incensed with the decision, believing Yedlin was not the last man.

It was a definite goalscoring opportunity, but whichever way you try to dissect the incident, there can be no denying Yedlin’s carelessness and reckless dawdling on the ball cost his side the match.

Newcastle were growing in confidence prior to the challenge, so Yedlin’s red card will be particularly frustrating for Benitez, who was forced to make a substitute at half-time through a reported injury to Federico Fernandez – with that sending off only Everton (91) and Arsenal (86) have received more Premier League red cards than Newcastle (82).

The post The major winners and losers as 10-man Newcastle fall late in 2-1 defeat to Wolves appeared first on Squawka News.



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