For all the wailing and the moaning and the injuries and the illness and the context and complaints, north London is black and white. For all Ange Postecoglou’s “fair and even playing field,” and Mikel Arteta’s “we should have scored three goals,” Newcastle United have planted their flag in this part of England’s capital city, 9,000 fans braving the elements, the road and rail networks, to see their team win twice here in four days.
Quite where it might take them, this accumulated journey of more than 1,110 miles, nobody can determine. Not yet. Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur was their fifth in succession in the Premier League, enough to leave them fifth in the table and pushing, pushing for a place in Europe. Their 2-0 beating of Arsenal represents the halfway point of a Carabao Cup semi-final and nothing has been determined.
The bigger picture remains opaque. Would anybody dare claim that Newcastle have one foot at Wembley, when Arsenal are so capable and when trophies have been so absent? Who knows what this season will bring when it has already been so capricious and unpredictable and when Eddie Howe’s team have been so emblematic of it. A month ago, they were twelfth and embattled, with two wins from their previous 11 league matches.
OK, OK, so maybe they have a little toe in the final, although Eddie Howe, a man allergic to the very whisper of hyperbole, reeled back from the suggestion. “I can’t afford to think like that,” he said. “It’s a very good win for us and we’re really pleased, but it’s still very much game on and we’ve done half the work. We have to put it to the back of our minds.” The second leg is on February 5 and, tired bodies apart, Newcastle must wish they could play it now.
The smaller picture, though? What a blast, what a fitting reward for the supporters who have so often traipsed down the A1 or the East Coast Mainline and experienced dismay (or delays), who received a jaded apology from Howe after their previous visit to London and a harrowing 4-2 defeat at Brentford. What a joy to be following this transformed team right now, who are playing with such confidence and cohesion. It is seven in a row in all competitions; seven and heaven.
Couple this with the 2-0 victory at Old Trafford on December 30 and Newcastle have not just navigated but triumphed at two grounds where their history has been honking, scoring four goals without reply in Manchester and at the Emirates (for only their second victory in 20 visits). They are not nicking these games, either. They are withstanding pressure but they are also managing it and they are taking on their opponents as equals.
Asked about Newcastle’s astonishing week and Howe admitted: “If you look back through my record, I don’t think you’ll find another one like it.”
Same for us, Eddie. Same for us.
Two years ago, Newcastle came here and irritated their way to a goalless draw. Nine players were booked in that game, including Jamaal Lascelles, a non-playing substitute, for disrupting an Arsenal throw-in. Afterwards, Arteta spoke about “two scandalous penalties that weren’t given,” and said of Newcastle, they had “never played like this.” Howe responded: “We’re not here to be popular.”
Feistiness clings to this figure, but the distance from there to here feels extensive. By the end, Arsenal had blustered and bludgeoned their way to 23 shots, but only three of them were on target. That told a tale; Newcastle were required to be resilient, but they did it with endeavour and alacrity and a form of control. It was their fourth clean sheet in five games. As Dan Burn said, “The way we defended in the second half was brilliant.”
The dark arts were not deployed. The door to the s***-house was not required to swing open.
At the other end, Alexander Isak was sublime, all liquid beauty and menace, confounding and befuddling William Saliba. Newcastle have players to trouble any side and that this victory came without the involvement of Bruno Guimaraes, was another little milestone, something that had not happened before. “It’s important we can win without anyone,” Howe said. “The team has to be the strength, not the individual. It’s a great sign for us.” They are rounded and full of danger.
The first goal … Well, durr. Of course it was Isak, scoring for the 50th time in Newcastle colours and his tenth in the last nine games. And of course it was Jacob Murphy with the final touch to Isak’s boots, this unlikely combination of megastar and under-appreciated team player which has become so pivotal. And what a throwback which prompted it, a long punt from Martin Dubrakva, Sven Botman up to win it and then chaos.
The second, scored in the 51st minute, almost brought the same outcome. Isak played in Murphy, the favour was returned and a raking shot across goal forced David Raya off his line to parry the ball and this time it fell to Anthony Gordon, slap bang in front of Newcastle’s supporters. Arteta’s contention that “It’s not a result that reflects the story of the game, (but) they were super-efficient with the chances they had,” was halfway unarguable.
This weekend it is Bromley at home in the FA Cup and having rolled on with a small rump of starting players, Howe signalled that plenty will be rested, saying that “half-time was a real warning to us that the players are giving everything physically. We need to look after them.” By the end, with Isak and others tiring, Newcastle were playing without a recognised striker in a lesser-spotted 5-5-0 formation.
Asked about Dubravka, his goalkeeper, strongly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Shabab and who looked tearful at the end, he said his “wish” would be to offer him a new contract.
Leaving would surely be a wrench. On days like this, on runs like this, dressing rooms must feel precious and superhuman. “There are always challenges, you still have problems,” Howe said. “But there’s just a different feeling. The players believe in each other at the moment and winning is the only thing that can really, truly glue them together. The challenge for us is to harness that, keep it and not throw it away.”
There have been some big nights for Newcastle under Howe, but have there been many bigger statements than the last few days? Than this? North London is theirs. Wembley and northwest London glitters.
(Top photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
