Newcastle’s £100m Arsenal plan was far from ‘unseen’ as Howe unlocks new formula
Aaron Stokes
4 – 5 minutes
Lewis Hall may have earned Man of the Match for his incredible display in the win over Arsenal but the Newcastle United favourite felt obliged to make sure the credit was shared with those around him after a collective effort to keep Bukayo Saka quiet at St James’ Park.
“He’s an unbelievable player, I knew I had to do whatever I could to stop him getting a yard or crosses into the box,” Hall told the BBC when asked about the Arsenal winger. “I had some help from Joelinton and Joe Willock who put in a lot of hard yards that probably go unnoticed.
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“As a three we did really well. It’s what we’re known for – high-pressing, getting into people’s faces. It was a really good performance from us.”
Hall may believe Joelinton and Willock’s work went unnoticed in the 1-0 victory but the truth is very different. Both left-sided stars, who dovetailed throughout the tie, were applauded for their defensive efforts as well as their attacking exploits in the aftermath of the tie, with £100m worth of Newcastle talent flourished down the left. Eddie Howe has spent the week waxing lyrical about both men after assured displays down their favoured flank against both the Gunners and Chelsea days earlier.
Joelinton, in particular, could be seen covering every blade of glass as Arsenal were left frustrated, once again, on Tyneside. The Brazilian may have been named as a central midfielder as the pre-match team sheets dropped on Saturday but he could be seen filling in as a left wing-back to bolster the attempts to keep Saka quiet, while he is also beginning to showcase his capability to drop in as a makeshift left-sided centre-back when Newcastle do not have possession.
There was also plenty of overlapping and interchanging with Willock as Joelinton was allowed to venture forward. This, just days after the £40m man filled in at both right-wing and right wing-back in the cup win over Chelsea.
Willock managed just 65 minutes in the victory over his former employers due to cramp but, like Joelinton, has enjoyed a very positive week on the whole.
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“He dovetails really well with Joelinton, and you could see them interchanging positions today,” Howe said of Willock on Saturday. “Joe and Alex also have a really good relationship on the pitch, and naturally, when you have those feelings around certain players, it can elevate the players around you. Joe is capable of that.
Willock’s return to form of late poses a question for Howe regarding just how the Newcastle boss fits all his midfield and left-wing talent in the same XI. Harvey Barnes, who started the season in flying form, now looks set for another spell on the sidelines, while Sean Longstaff continues to earn his starts by consistently ending on the winning side when being used from the outset.
As for Hall, he has certainly locked down the left-back position all for himself after a brief battle with Lloyd Kelly at the beginning of the season. The 20-year-old is growing with each game and looked at home dealing with one of the league’s best wingers thanks to some selfless work from the stars in front of him.
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