How did the players fare in Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Brentford?
NEWCASTLE (4-3-3):
6 Pope: Suffered a rush of blood when he needlessly upended Wissa to concede the penalty, but made at least partial amends when he made a crucial stoppage-time save from Schade
7 Trippier: Put in a real shift down the right-hand side to keep Schade quiet – isn’t attacking as much as he used to, but has been defensively secure since returning to the team
7 Schar: A rock-solid defensive presence who made a series of blocks and challenges to keep out the Brentford attack
8 Burn: Superb at the heart of the back four, throwing his body in the way of shots and winning the physical battle against Brentford’s forwards
7 Livramento: Another strong showing from the makeshift left-back – got forward down the flank repeatedly, even if his desire to cut inside made him somewhat predictable
7 Guimaraes: Led by example at the heart of midfield – pressing aggressively, clattering into challenges and always looking to get onto the ball
8 TONALI: Capped an excellent midfield display with a remarkable strike from close to the right touchline that left everyone in St James’ Park catching their breath
7 Joelinton: Looked like he was going to be forced off through injury on a number of occasions during the game, but carried on to deliver a typically industrious midfield display
7 Murphy: Claimed another assist with an excellent cross for Isak’s goal and got into some decent positions, even if some of his shooting was a bit erratic
7 Isak: Made amends for an uncharacteristic piece of bad decision-making when he swept home Newcastle’s opener a minute or so after electing to cross rather than shoot
6 Barnes: His effort couldn’t be questioned, but his decision-making can occasionally still leave a lot to be desired
Subs:
6 Wilson (for Isak, 66): Ensured Newcastle’s attacking energy remained high in the final half-hour
6 Willock (for Murphy, 66): Showed plenty of enthusiasm in the closing stages
Krafth (for Trippier, 89)
Miley (for Barnes, 90+6)
(not used): Dubravka (gk), Shahar, Longstaff, Neave, Osula.
BRENTFORD (4-2-3-1):
Flekken 5; van den Berg 5, Collins 5, Pinnock 4 (Ajer 83), Lewis-Potter 6; Norgaard 5, Janelt 5 (Damsgaard 59, 5); MBEUMO 7, Yarmoliuk 4 (Maghoma 83), Schade 5; Wissa 6.
Subs (not used): Valdimarsson (gk), Mee, Konak, Kayode, Kim, Morgan.
Man Of The Match: SANDRO TONALI – Whether he meant it or not, his winner was the highlight of an all-action display that saw him dominate the heart of midfield.
