EPL

Willock: Newcastle owed Man Utd one after cup final defeat

By Sports Desk April 02, 2023

Joe Willock believes Newcastle United "owed" Manchester United a loss as they got revenge for their EFL Cup final defeat to the Red Devils with a 2-0 Premier League victory.

The Magpies were denied a first major trophy in 68 years as goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford condemned them to defeat at Wembley in late February.

But Eddie Howe's men put in a much-improved performance at St James' Park on Sunday, as Willock and Callum Wilson struck to haul them above Erik ten Hag's side and into third in the Premier League.

Speaking after his team moved into the Champions League spots, Willock felt Newcastle used the cup final disappointment to their advantage as they got vengeance for that heartbreak.

"Today we played really well," he told Sky Sports. "We deserved the victory. It was electric today in here. We fed off the crowd and got the big three points.

"I feel like we owed them one after the cup final. We took that very bitterly, we didn't take that lightly. Losing a cup final, it hurts a lot. We took that anger into this game today and from the start we dominated play."

Willock's goal set Newcastle on the way to their first league victory against the Red Devils since October 2019, and the Magpies now lead them in the table by virtue of their far superior goal difference. 

The former Arsenal man is confident his team can get over the line and finish in the Champions League spots for the first time since the 2002-03 season under Bobby Robson, with Opta rating it a 58.2 per cent chance they end the campaign in the top four.

"I feel like we have to believe," Willock added. "We've been in and around there all season.

"We've got a brilliant team, brilliant manager and a brilliant environment for us players to work in, so I feel like there's nothing stopping us."

Howe felt his team's efforts warranted the three points, having accumulated 3.57 xG (expected goals) and restricted Ten Hag's side to just one shot on target, a tame long-range effort from Antony that Nick Pope easily saved.

"Today we fully deserved the win," Howe said. "It wasn't a lucky win.

"We knocked at the door the whole game, I think statistically we were very strong today. So I'm really pleased with the players."

Newcastle's bid to finish in the top four is now entering a crucial stage with three consecutive away matches next up, starting with a trip to the London Stadium to face relegation-threatened West Ham on Wednesday.

Howe urged his players to keep their focus, explaining: "That was my words after the game. We've got three games in six days, we have to be focused on West Ham.

"But we're in a good vein of form. Three wins in a row is difficult to do in the Premier League, so we'll look forward to those games."

Related items

  • Leicester's 'character' in Brighton comeback delights Van Nistelrooy Leicester's 'character' in Brighton comeback delights Van Nistelrooy

    Leicester boss Ruud Van Nistelrooy was delighted with the character of his side as they came from behind to draw with Brighton and continue his unbeaten start as manager.

    Brighton looked to be cruising to an away victory after goals from Tariq Lamptey and Yankuba Minteh handed them a two-goal lead heading into the final five minutes. 

    But the Foxes fought back, as Jamie Vardy grabbed a goal before setting up Bobby De Cordova-Reid to equalise in second half stoppage time. 

    The result saw the Foxes move above Crystal Palace in the Premier League table and into 16th, building a five-point gap between themselves and the bottom three. 

    And speaking after the game, Van Nistelrooy was pleased with his side's desire in their late fightback, lauding his team's ability to "getting the pressure right". 

    In his post-match press conference, he said: "Coming back from 2-0 down is a great show of character. But I have to say I enjoyed the second half of this team.

    "In the second half, we got the pressure right, putting them under pressure, winning the duels in their half, keeping the ball and chasing the 1-1."

    Despite just gaining one point in comparison to the 3-1 victory over West Ham in his first game, Van Nistelrooy believes this was an improved performance.

    “We were realistic after the West Ham game," he said.

    "We were very effective in scoring three goals but we let West Ham in way too much. We acknowledged it. Today the performance was way better than Tuesday, in that sense.

    "We controlled the game and put a lot of pressure on Brighton, who are one of the best footballing sides in this league."

    Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, meanwhile, was disappointed his side let their two-goal lead slip so late on in the game.

    The Seagulls have now failed to win two of the last three top-flight games in which they have led by 2+ goals (W1 D2) - as many as their previous 40 beforehand (W38 D2).

    There were positives for the Brighton boss, however, as 10 of their outfielders who started this match either registered a shot or created a chance, with Georgino Rutter the only starting player to not do so.

    And amid Hurzeler's disappointment, he believes that his side's latest setback will stand them in good stead moving forward. 

    "It’s just football sometimes. We have to learn from it because we have experienced it this season, and we need to be more mature and finish off the games," Hurzeler said.

    "We have to trust the process, and we will reflect on this and look at the positives. A big part is game management. We have to improve."

  • Odegaard: Arsenal 'didn't do enough' in Fulham draw Odegaard: Arsenal 'didn't do enough' in Fulham draw

    Martin Odegaard conceded Arsenal "didn't do enough" against Fulham, as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage.

    The Gunners missed the chance to move within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool, whose showdown with Everton was postponed on Saturday due to adverse weather conditions.

    Mikel Arteta's side controlled large periods of the contest, enjoying three-quarters of the possession, but had to settle for a share of the spoils after William Saliba cancelled out Raul Jimenez's opener.

    Bukayo Saka saw a late header ruled out for offside following a VAR review, but Odegaard acknowledged Arsenal required more to get the job done.

    "We dominated most of the game," he told Sky Sports. "The first half wasn't great. We were a bit sloppy and lacked energy and power.

    "The second half was a lot better. It's frustrating not to win. We were close in the end with the goal.

    "They're a good team. They know how to defend. A solid block. We didn't do enough today. We have to learn from that and go straight back in for the next one.

    "We did a lot of good things. We have to do more and put the ball in the box more times, maybe, be a bit more direct and aggressive. We could have won it in the end.

    "It's a very long way to go. We've said hundreds of times, we have to keep going game by game. We have to focus on ourselves. We don't care about the other teams [in the title race]."

    Meanwhile, Marco Silva felt Fulham could have been better, but saluted the commitment and fighting spirit demonstrated by his side, who have now suffered just one defeat in their last seven games.

    "The first thing is to praise the players for their commitment," the Cottagers boss said. "On the ball, it wasn't the game we like to play normally. The weather conditions weren't the best. They are really strong in the pressure.

    "In some moments, we should have kept the ball. Not many chances [for Arsenal] I think were good chances. We knew they'd start the second half strongly.

    "I'd like to see us making better decisions because we had some good moments to punish them more, but they equalised.

    "Second half, I felt the energy wasn't there because, when you have so much time without the ball, you need fresh legs. Overall, the commitment and fighting spirit was really good."

  • Leicester City 2-2 Brighton: Late Foxes fightback thwarts Seagulls Leicester City 2-2 Brighton: Late Foxes fightback thwarts Seagulls

    Leicester City scored twice in the closing stages to come back from 2-0 down and draw 2-2 with Brighton in the Premier League.

    The Seagulls appeared to be on course for a comfortable victory, with a stunning first-half strike from Tariq Lamptey having been followed up by Yankuba Minteh's effort 11 minutes from time.

    Brighton had controlled matters from the off, and Minteh's goal will have been the least Fabian Hurzeler felt his side deserved.

    Yet, Leicester talisman Jamie Vardy dragged Ruud van Nistelrooy's Foxes back into the contest as he poked in from close range to set up a grandstand finish.

    And Vardy was involved in the 91st-minute equaliser, teeing up Bobby De Cordova-Reid to tap in and claim a draw in dramatic fashion.

    Leicester are now 16th, with Brighton in seventh, having missed the chance to apply more pressure to their fellow European contenders.

    Data Debrief: Seagulls' King Power Stadium winless streak continues

    Brighton have now failed to win two of the last three Premier League games in which they have led by two or more goals, as many as in their previous 40.

    The Seagulls are still seeking their first Premier League victory away at Leicester, the joint-most they have faced a side on the road without registering a single win (also seven against Manchester City).

    Vardy inspired Leicester's turnaround. Aged 37 years and 332 days, the forward is the second-oldest player in Premier League history to both score and assist a goal in a single match, after Manchester United's Ryan Giggs against Fulham in December 2011 (38 years, 22 days).

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.