Newcastle needed that. They’ve won six of their last eight games, which might sound like an impressive run of form, but Sunday’s defeat at West Ham was wretched enough to raise all manner of doubts. Three straight Champions League wins, though, all without conceding, means they probably need only one more victory from their final four games to secure a place in the playoff round, while two wins and a draw would almost certainly secure a top-eight place and automatic passage to the last 16.
This Newcastle are a team with an extremely high ceiling and a very low floor. They are capable of hammering Union Saint-Gilloise and pummelling Benfica in the Champions League and outplaying Tottenham in the Carabao Cup. But they are also capable of losing 3-1 to West Ham and being grateful it wasn’t worse. They are both the amiable doctor and the vicious criminal, both ferociously energetic winners and lethargic disappointments, both Jekyll and Hyde. “We navigated today really well after the weekend,” said Eddie Howe. “It was important we responded mentally. Our psychology was really good. We’ve had three wins in a row, some good performances and we’re in a good position.”
The huge advantage Newcastle have in Europe is that they are bigger than most of their opponents. That has been an ongoing feature of the Champions League this season: Premier League sides have a huge physical advantage over their rivals. Compounding that was Athletic’s baffling reluctance to pick up the biggest bloke in the box every time Newcastle attacked.
David Copperfield once made the Statue of Liberty disappear, but even he might baulk at the challenge of making Dan Burn invisible, yet that was what Newcastle achieved as they took the lead after 11 minutes.
The Premier League focus on set plays appears to have given them a huge advantage in Europe. Just as Liverpool plagued Real Madrid from corners and free-kicks on Tuesday, so Newcastle tormented Athletic. As Keiran Trippier whipped the ball in from the right, Burn somehow looped unseen round the back of the defence to steer a glorious header inside the far post. “It was a well-worked routine,” said Howe, “a really good ball in. We need to score more from set-plays.” He also paid tribute to Trippier’s attitude in getting himself back to fitness after illness, and acknowledged Newcastle have missed him.
“I have a bitter taste in my mouth,” said the Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde. “It was a shame. In the first half they punished us with a free-kick. It was almost telegraphed, we should have known. It was an obvious move and we fell for it.”
Unai Gómez was denied at the near post by the outstretched foot of Nick Pope, and Adama Boiro pinged a snapshot off the woodwork but there was always a sense that those chances came against the run of play and that Newcastle’s superior physicality would prevail. In the end they were helped by further poor marking from Athletic, Joelinton left untended six yards out to nod in a Harvey Barnes cross four minutes into the second half.
Howe made a triple substitution soon after, an understandable move given the pressure of the calendar. Newcastle lost momentum but they were never anything other than comfortable and for most of the last half hour the game was largely an exercise in running down the clock.
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Given the fatigue they demonstrated on Sunday, a convincing victory in which they didn’t need to overexert themselves was just what was required – although they did lose Anthony Gordon to a recurrence of his hip injury.
The danger is that disappointing away form has a knock-on effect at St James’. Beating Benfica and Athletic at home was vital for Newcastle’s hopes of progression. “These home games were really important,’ Howe said, “and that put an added pressure on us.” The inconsistency is clearly beginning to niggle. “We want to make sure we don’t become that team that’s yoyoing in terms of attitude and intensity,” Howe added, rejecting the idea his side are becoming a cup team. “I know the players are frustrated, so I don’t think it’s from a lack of effort. If you’re just able to lift yourself for certain moments you never know when that negative side’s going to raise itself.”
Brentford away at the weekend will be a very different test – and then comes the relief of the international break and a chance for at least some of the squad to recuperate.
