Newcastle ‘desperate to achieve’ FA Cup success – Eddie Howe

By Sports Desk February 27, 2024

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe hailed a “big moment” in his side’s season after they scraped past Championship Blackburn on penalties in the FA Cup on Tuesday.

Martin Dubravka saved two spot-kicks as the Magpies prevailed 4-3 in the shoot-out after the game had ended 1-1 after extra time.

With the club having slipped to 10th in the Premier League in what has been a largely underwhelming campaign after last year’s top-four finish, the cup now represents the best chance to maintain their upward trajectory.

Howe said: “Obviously a lot was riding on the outcome so I thought the players handled the moment brilliantly, the goalkeeper and outfield players who took the penalties.

“It was big moment in our season at such a crucial stage.

“The players are desperate to achieve. No-one is underestimating the importance of the FA Cup.”

Howe also praised the heroics of Dubravka after the Slovakia keeper had been ill in the build-up to the game.

He said: “The two penalty saves were huge for us but in open play I thought he really performed well and we needed him to because they had a few big moments.

“He’s been playing feeling slightly ill and he deserves huge credit for doing that. He was nowhere near fit for the weekend against Arsenal and hasn’t been 100 per cent for quite a long period of time.”

Dubravka kept Blackburn at bay with a number of saves before Newcastle broke the deadlock in the 71st minute through Anthony Gordon.

Blackburn responded well and levelled through the impressive Sammie Szmodics and both sides had chances to win it, in normal time and extra time, but it came down to penalties and Dubravka kept out efforts from Szmodics and Dominic Hyam.

Howe said: “I thought we got better as it went on. I don’t think the first half was particularly good, I thought the second half was better and extra time was our best spell of the game by a long way.

“Really we shouldn’t have allowed it to go to penalties with the chances we missed in extra time.”

Blackburn manager John Eustace was pleased with the effort of his side, who played at a level above that of a team 16th in the Championship.

Eustace, who is still awaiting his first win after taking charge earlier this month, said: “When it goes down to penalties it’s a bit of a lottery but I’m very, very proud of the squad that we used and also very proud of the supporters.

“I couldn’t ask for any more effort and desire and togetherness. You can see that everyone’s really fighting and looking after each other and you can see the style of play improving game by game.

“We’re making small steps forward. We’re playing against a top Premier League team, top players, and you could see that we could hurt them in certain areas. On another day we could have had a couple more goals.”

Related items

  • ‘We will give him an honorary card’ - Sartini hoping for heavenly presence in playoff decider ‘We will give him an honorary card’ - Sartini hoping for heavenly presence in playoff decider

    Vanni Sartini opened his arms to an unlikely addition to the Vancouver Whitecaps’ fanbase in their deciding fixture against Los Angeles FC in the MLS playoffs.

    In the Whitecaps’ wild card match against the Portland Timbers, a game they won 5-0, opposition manager Phil Neville believed that God was on his side after the game was played at Providence Park, despite Vancouver finishing higher in the Western Conference.

    Sartini explained after the result that he did not believe in God but said he would be a welcome Whitecaps supporter in their must-win encounter at the BMO Stadium.

    “I don’t know. After last time when I said that I don’t think he exists, I don’t know if he wants to become part of the Whitecaps, but if he does, we will give him an honorary card,” Sartini said.

    The Whitecaps forced a deciding game in their best-of-three series after beating LAFC 3-0 at BC Place, the only tie to go the distance in the West.

    Vancouvers’ postseason form has seen them play some of their best football this term, and Sartini is hoping for that to continue.

    “We had a run in the late summer, and we were playing really well, and we have achieved that same level, and it’s the level of a top four team to be honest,” Sartini added.

    “The three games, we knew that the conditions were going to be back, and we knew we were gearing towards the playoffs with all the players arriving and ready to go.

    “I know that we will play a good game in Los Angeles, we will. If we win, I don’t know. We will honour this playoff run.”

    LAFC, meanwhile, will be aiming to avenge their defeat in Game 2, hoping not to become the second high-profile casualty in the playoffs after the Columbus Crew were eliminated by the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference bracket.

    Ryan Gauld opened the scoring in the 10th minute before two own-goals either side of half-time from Ryan Hollingshead and Eddie Segura sealed the win for Vancouver.

    LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo bemoaned his side’s slow start to proceedings after finding themselves two goals down inside 13 minutes and is looking to rectify that on home turf this time around.

    “If you go back to the 11 games that we lost this season, it has always been the crucial moments at the beginning of the half where we make mental lapses and errors,” Cherundolo said.

    “It was a little sloppy mentally and tactically in those moments and that is just not good enough to win games. Against Vancouver, it is difficult because they are a team full of energy.

    “They almost always capitalise on opponents’ mistakes, and they did against us. We have nothing to blame but ourselves and we will look to correct those errors in training.”

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    LAFC – Denis Bouanga

    Despite not finding the back of the net in Game 2, Bouanga will be hoping to get himself back among the goals against one of his favoured opponents in the MLS.

    He has recorded at least one goal contribution in all five home matches he’s played against Vancouver in all competitions, totalling four goals and four assists over the five matches.

    Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld

    Gauld has scored in four straight matches for the Whitecaps going back to the end of the regular season, including a goal during his side’s victory in Game 2.

    The only Whitecaps player to score in five straight MLS matches (regular season and playoffs) is Camilo Sanvezzo between June and July 2013.

    MATCH PREDICTION: LAFC WIN

    While the series is level heading into the decider, it is LAFC who are predicted to emerge victorious according to Opta’s data-led simulations.

    However, their seven-match winning streak in all competitions ended with the loss to Vancouver in Game 2. LAFC have not lost consecutive matches in over a year, since a three-match losing run between August and September 2023.

    Vancouver’s 3-0 win last time out ended an eight-match winless run in the best-of-three series. (D2 L6). They have managed only one win in 12 all-time away matches against LAFC (D4 L7) but did beat the Black and Gold in a penalty shootout at BMO Stadium in the Leagues Cup this year.

    The Whitecaps’ triumph in Game 2 was their third all-time playoff victory (D2 L8). In those three wins, the Whitecaps have outscored opponents, 13-0, while being outscored 19-6, in their other 10 postseason contests.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    LAFC – 63.1%

    Draw – 19.6%

    Vancouver Whitecaps – 17.3%

  • 'Disappointed' Parker laments disallowed goal in West Brom stalemate 'Disappointed' Parker laments disallowed goal in West Brom stalemate

    Burnley head coach Scott Parker was left "disappointed" with officials after Jaidon Anthony saw his goal ruled out in their goalless draw with West Brom on Thursday. 

    The Clarets are now without a win in their last four Championship games, while also failing to score in their last three fixtures in the division. 

    Anthony, however, thought he had put Burnley ahead in the 59th minute when he headed Lucas Pires' delivery to the back post beyond Alex Palmer. 

    But referee Tom Nield felt the Burnley winger had pushed Callum Styles in an attempt to reach the ball, thus disallowing the goal, much to the frustration of Parker. 

    "I've watched it back again - it's a goal. It's a valid goal and disappointing the ref has decided to give that decision," Parker told Sky Sports.

    "There's a little hand but nothing to influence the player too much.

    "Overall we looked very good, good value. At this present moment the chances are not going in (but) overall today the attacking threat was more positive.

    "I am really encouraged by that. It's a young team, in a process."

    Anthony also gave his version of events at full-time, echoing the comments made my his manager. 

    "Yeah frustrating, at the time I didn’t think it was a foul. The defender didn’t seem to complain either," Anthony added. 

    "I want to score more, I don’t really get too many headers, it felt good going in, I turned around and it was a heartbreaking moment to see it ruled out.

    "We haven’t created enough in the past games, but today I felt like we had chances."

    Carlos Corberan, unsurprisingly, shared a different view of the incident. 

    "From my point of view from the bench it was a foul," the West Brom boss said. "In general as a team we were good in the first half and we created some opportunities.

    "In the second half they were better than us until the last third of it. They were more compact than us and we struggled to create chances."

    West Brom have now drawn their last six games in the Championship, with Thursday's stalemate their third straight draw without a goal at the Hawthorns. 

    And the Baggies struggled again to find that clinical edge in the final third, registering just one shot on target from the 11 efforts they managed against Burnley. 

    Despite the result, West Brom moved up to fifth in the table, while Burnley remained in fourth, but the Clarets are now four points behind the automatic promotion places. 

  • Maresca thrilled with 'serious' Chelsea after Conference League romp Maresca thrilled with 'serious' Chelsea after Conference League romp

    Enzo Maresca was thrilled with the "serious" performance Chelsea put in during their 8-0 drubbing of Armenian minnows Noah in the Europa Conference League.

    Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku scored twice at Stamford Bridge, while Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Axel Disasi and Mykhailo Mudryk also got themselves on the scoresheet. 

    The Blues were six goals to the good by half-time, the biggest advantage by an English side at the break of a major European game since Derby County were winning 9-0 against Finn Harps in the 1976-77 UEFA Cup.

    Chelsea are also top of the 36-team league table on goal difference, having scored 16 times in their three matches in the competition so far.

    Maresca was impressed by the way his side ensured there was no slacking against evidently inferior opposition.

    "I think the players showed how professional and serious they are. It is very easy to sleep in these kind of games," Maresca said after the game.

    "Football is full of surprises. It was to show how serious we are, how professional. They showed that and it's an important message for all of us.

    "In the first five minutes, we conceded a chance. You have to be focused. The way to show respect to them, don't underestimate them. 

    "Football is full of these kind of surprises. We don't need that."

    Speaking to TNT Sports, Maresca was especially pleased considering he once again made wholesale changes from the side ordinarily seen in the Premier League.

    "Very impressed, especially because we are trying to change players every game. It works well," he added.

    "We have good players, and we want them to get minutes. Some of them play in the conference, some in the Premier League, but all of them want to play every game."

    The Stamford Bridge faithful could be heard chanting 'we want 10' during the game, but centre-back Adarabioyo was equally delighted with the clean sheet.

    "I didn't [know fans were chanting 'we want 10']. Didn't manage 10 but a great result," he told TNT Sports.

    "Concentration is key to make sure we have the clean sheet at the end of the game and we managed to do so. I've been thinking I needed a goal soon, so very happy to get one.

    "Never take your foot off the gas. We just kept going. Set out for the clean sheet and we managed to get that. We haven't had one for a while."

    Up next for Chelsea is a return to Premier League action, hoping to carry the momentum for their convincing triumph against an out of sorts Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. 

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.