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Half-time: Newcastle 0-0 Fulham
We close out with an Almiron shot at Leno. Newcastle grew into the half as it went but without much in the way of concerted quality. We wait to see if Bruno Guimaraes continues in the second half. He limps off in some pain. Fulham’s defence has done OK, but then so has that of Newcastle. All to play for. It’s not been quite what you would call absorbing.
45+1 min: Three minutes are added on, which seems slim considering all that Newcastle treatment. There’s still time for Callum Wilson to escape Diop and Ream, but then not be able to send Leno the wrong way.
44 min: Tete clears the danger from the corner, and then Trippier almost plays Pope into lumber, only for Pope, unencumbered by his previous problem, comes out to hoik the ball away.
43 min: A foul on Longstaff, and one that Pereira in particular feels was unjustly awarded. Newcastle try to push the ball forward, only for the referee to pull the ball back into its proper position. Trippier can only hit the wall, and win a corner.
41 min: Howls of outrage from an agitated crowd as Willock is penalised during a Newcastle attack. Newcastle go again, but when Wilson crosses into the box, they could really do with him being on the end of it.
40 min: Schar breaks up a Fulham attack and finds a space through for Callum Wilson, who turns and shoots. Leno makes the save. That was a first proper breaking of the lines by either team. It’s been very tactical so far.
38 min: Diop – who been excellent – clears up as Longstaff’s pass across goal fails to find Callum Wilson.
36 min: Both injured parties OK to continue, while mystery remains over what happened to Pope, who then catches a Bobby Reid cross with some ease.
34 min: Overtime for the Toon physios. Both Nick Pope and Bruno are down. Bruno is being strapped up while Pope seems to have done a mischief to his ankle.
32 min: Almiron, in his favourite inside-right half-space, has a shot blocked. Previously. he’d been quiet. Joe Willock, from the rebound of the resultant corner, whacks long.
29 min: This is an even contest, and doesn’t look like breaking into a goalfest. The defences from both teams have been organised, and muscular. Schar does well as Willian’s ball to the back post lets in BobbyReid, though at the expense of a corner. And that comes to little when Mitrovic uses Schar as a climbing frame.
27 min: Leno climbs highest to catch a steepled Trippier ball into the Newcastle box.
26 min: Newcastle beginning to look like they mean business now….
24 min: Bruno moving better though not with the fluency that made his name. In the flesh, he’s a hell of a player to watch, though so is Joelinton. Their hairstyles can lead to confusion between them, giving the lie to the idea they are absolutely everywhere. The same used to go for Thomas Gravesen and Lee Carsley at Everton. They could do with such players now.
22 min: Jeff Sax gets in touch: “ It is inexcusable the inclusion of a player who was caught driving under the influence. With so many young people following football, an example must be set by high profile people.(As a physician I treat the terrible consequences that result from drinking and driving).”
Joe Pearson’s a true head: “How about ‘Pull Me Under’ by Dream Theater, a prog metal classic! for a song that finishes abruptly.”
21 min: Jeremy Boyce gets in touch: “Hello John. Looking at the top 6 you could be forgiven for thinking that we’ve timewarped back to the 50s/60s. Arse, ManU, Noocassle, Spurs, Fulham... Just needs Haynes and Milburn on today’s team sheets and that would be it. And if you look at 7th and 8th, the 2 Bs, you could substitute them with Bolton and Burnley for that truly authentic 50s/60s vibe. The resemblance doesn’t end there : Liverpool and Chelsea languishing in mid-table, Wolves and Villa present, albeit nearer the bottom. So in fact, despite offering the likes of Swindon Town etc. a season in the sun, the Premier League has done little to truly democratise the money and power in the game. What goes around comes around, eh ? Apart from Spurs actually winning anything, obviously.”
20 min: Bruno is back on but moving with little fluency, but it is bystander as Sean Longstaff speed to the byline, and it takes Harrison Reed to clear it. Next, Wilson gets a a chance by the penalty spot, and that’s blocked off by Diop. Newcastle building up a head of steam.
18 min: Palhinha and Guimaraes and it’s the Brazilian comes off worse, and there’s a loud shout of agony. He looked to twist something, and is still in pain as he gets to his feet. There’s a shake of the head as he comes off.
16 min: Eventually, Mitrovic is penalised for a handball from that corner but the sound of Jason Tindall shouting “away” was clearly audible.
15 min: Diop and Willian link well down the right and force a corner, and some angst from the home fans. Fulham look much the likelier to score at the moment.
14 min: Fulham are making Newcastle work here, and in defence, too. Callum Wilson has seen little of the ball.
12 min: Newcastle have a corner, and one taken short before Trippier loops one in, onkly for the danger to be cleared. Fulham had read it well, and get it clear.
11 min: Willian gets the ball in space, sends Pereira away. And Mitrovic gets the ball, turns and then shoots, before Tete clatters wide. Fulham are up for this.
9 min: Trippier is penalised for a handball and Fulham have chance to aim for Mitrovic. The ball is cleared and then Palhinha goes down, but eventually an offside is called to end the Fulham attack.
7 min: Willian takes a knock but will be fine to go on. Marco Silva is dishing out instructions from the sidelines, stepping out of that perspex-glass sheltered dugout at St James’.
5 min: Close for Newcastle. Longstaff was in in on goal, only for Diop to block him off.
4 min: It’s all squeezed up tight by Fulham, who like to play on the front foot, and can leave space behind them. They’ve been excellent since their opening 3-3 draw with Liverpool, that approach bringing them great success.
3 min: An early sighter for Joe Willock, as Joelinton flicks on. He had time and space to make a better fist of it than that, a waft well wide of the goal.
1 min: We’re off, and begin with Fulham making an attacking start. That’s the way they play.
Some manly hugs between the Newcastle players, while Mitrovic ties his shoelaces. Eddie Howe sits in contemplation, before Jason Tindall, his faithful assistant, has a quiet word. Jason will not be staying quiet for long. Now some Hey Jude, and away we go at St James’.
The teams are in the tunnel, and the music is pumping at St James’, where there’s always a good selection of records played. Local Hero, of course, tops the lot. Now there’s a record that ends suddenly, as if it were the theme to an advert rather than a film soundtrack.
Howe also spoke about Joelinton’s inclusion despite being arrested for drink-driving in midweek.
We don’t underestimate the severity of what he did. We’ve dealt with him internally and had discussions with him and the group. He’s very remorseful, very sad. We’ve put him into the team based on everything we know.
The Newcastle manager, Eddie Howe, spoke to Sky Sports.
I think we’re coming in on a high but understanding how tough this game is going to be, two good sides going against each other. Marco [Silva’s] been incredible this season he deserves a lot of credit. Not just the results but the way they’ve been getting them. Teams are going to make it difficult for us, every game’s a big challenge.
Chris Paraskevas, too: “1 am Kick-Off here in Australia. Eyeing a tray of Cornettos in freezer (23 degrees Celcius atm). Fulham looking a really dangerous proposition: I have a feeling Mitrovic may score today. Dan Burn should definitely have gone to the World Cup, but I’m not surprised he was overlooked. Considered imitating his dancing on Insta but my left ankle is pretty dodge (years spent as a Sunday League Target Man). HTL”
Richard Hirst is in: “Football supporters are pessimists by nature but I think I am just about confident enough to say that we will stop being a yo yo club this season. But today, after a high emotion game on Thursday, and a long trip to Newcastle ….. I’d bite your hand off for a draw. COYW.”
Dan Burn, born in Blyth and another member of the Fulham-Newcastle alliance, has become a cult hero on Tyneside.
The irony is that Burn, rejected by Newcastle as an 11-year-old but watched several times in person by Southgate during the autumn, was not Howe’s first- or even second-choice defensive signing this time last year. Not that Newcastle’s manager harbours the remotest shred of regret about acquiring his burgeoning talent and mature off-field influence.
Extra team news note: Layvin Kurzawa, once of PSG, gets his second Premier League start for Fulham as he’s in for the suspended Antonee Robinson. Big test for him.
What a good job Eddie Howe is doing, by the way. Here’s Jonathan Wilson’s thoughts.
Newcastle have the best defensive record in the Premier League. They have conceded only 11 times in 18 games. Only Neto has saved a higher proportion of shots than Nick Pope this season, but they lie fourth in the expected goals against chart. And they are getting better. They have let in only two goals in their last nine league games. Only Manchester City, Liverpool and Sheffield Wednesday have scored more than one against them this season.
The table has a healthy look to it for both clubs. Tight at the top, right? Though Arsenal can stretch it out later today.
Joelinton, against expectation considering his brush with the law this week, starts for Newcastle, who are unchanged from their defeat of Leicester on Tuesday. Fulham have won five in a row, and welcome back Mitrovic with Issa Diop replaces Tosin Adarabioyo in defence.
Here are the teams
Newcastle: Pope, Trippier, Botman, Schar, Burn, Guimaraes, Willock, Longstaff, Joelinton, Almiron, Wilson Subs: Darlow, Lascelles, Saint-Maximin, Ritchie, Isak, Manquillo, Wood, Murphy, Lewis
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Diop, Ream, Kurzawa, Reed, Palhinha, Pereira, Decordova-Reid, Mitrovic, Willian Subs: Rodak, Tosin, Wilson, Cairney, Solomon, Chalobah, James, Vinicius, Harris
Preamble
Newcastle and Fulham, two clubs with more links than you might think between a club in the working-class heartlands of the north east and bourgeois south-west London. Some names? Malcolm MacDonald, Kevin Keegan, Andy Cole, Louis Saha, Scott E Parker, Lee Clark and Aaron Hughes. And Aleksandar Mitrovic, of course, who is expected to return from suspension and injury to lead the line for Fulham, and who is recalled on Tyneside as a raw, talented player who never quite made the grade, and who suffered from a lack off ill-discipline. These days, he is Fulham’s talisman, so let’s hope we get to see him in action. Not that Fulham missed him in midweek in showing Chelsea that they are are the actual pride of bourgeois south-west London. Newcastle meanwhile, having exited the FA Cup at the hands of Hi-Ho Sheffield Wednesday (in memoriam, Jeff Beck), and made it to the League Cup semis, can concentrate on consolidating their top-four opponents. Marco Silva is an attacking manager, while Newcastle have the best defence in the division. Something’s got to give. Probably.
Kickoff is 2pm UK time. Join me.
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