1 day ago
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Tactical anarchy reigned supreme on a night of chaotic, bewilderingly thrilling, drama played out amid freezing conditions. Not that the on-pitch temperature ever seemed to drop below boiling point as a renascent Leeds led three times yet departed with their seven match unbeaten run at end and hearts broken by Harvey Barnes’s volleyed stoppage time winner for Newcastle.
Long before the end though three things were clear: Daniel Farke’s visitors are surely far too good to go down, Howe’s expensively assembled team have developed some alarming structural flaws and this was one of the finest matches staged at St James’ Park in recent years.
Kevin Keegan’s name was chanted long and loud before kick-off as the crowd sent their former player and manager an evocative “get well” message after his cancer diagnosis.
It created an emotionally charged atmosphere but Newcastle began as if strangely low on adrenaline as Leeds dominated the early stages. Indeed Farke’s team would have taken the lead had an unmarked Pascal Struijk not directed a free header over the crossbar after meeting Anton Stach’s free-kick.
Farke had reason to look concerned when his sometimes erratic goalkeeper Lucas Perri caught but could not hold an anodyne header from Malick Thiaw. In an instant, Thiaw’s central defensive partner, Fabian Schär had lashed the loose ball home but that effort was disallowed after the Swiss was adjudged to have fouled Perri.
Suitably encouraged, Newcastle raised their game a little. Lewis Miley, impressive once again, headed a Bruno Guimarães corner over the crossbar and the influential Sandro Tonali saw a shot deflected wide but this improvement was insufficient to erode visiting confidence.
By way of proving it, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Brenden Aaronson combined to befuddle Howe’s dozing defence. As Thiaw slipped, Aaronson met his centre-forward’s clever pass and unleashed a superlative low shot beyond Nick Pope’s reach.
Newcastle needed to rally. Thanks to Miley’s cross, Guimarães’s cushioned header, Anthony Gordon’s clever penalty-area flick, Nick Woltemade’s subtle touch and an assured left-foot finish from the dangerous Barnes, they did so in under five minutes.
The power balance had shifted to the point where Leeds looked mighty relieved to see Gordon’s free-kick rebound off a post but Farke’s players would walk off at half-time with their lead restored.
That goal came from the penalty spot after Thiaw’s handball. If, given that the German was toppling over at the time, the award of that spot-kick was contentious, it capped an unusually disappointing 45 minutes for the suddenly foundering defender.
Thiaw had struggled to subdue Calvert-Lewin and could not quite seem to fathom out Aaronson’s occupation of the No 10 territory between midfield and attack. In mitigation the United States winger is arguably in the form of his career.
Despite Gordon scuffing up the turf around the penalty spot – an endeavour that earned the England winger a yellow card – Calvert-Lewin made no mistake, sending Pope the wrong way. It was his ninth goal of the season and eighth in the past nine games. Much more of this and a place in England’s World Cup squad surely beckons.
Almost immediately Joelinton tried to claim a penalty of his own at the other end but, instead, the Brazil midfielder was booked for diving.
Newcastle emerged for the second period with Sven Botman having replaced Thiaw. If that was hardly a shock, the realisation that Tonali had been withdrawn and Miley moved to central midfield in a switch also involving Tino Livramento’s introduction at right-back seemed more controversial.
Howe though needed to find some way of countering Stach’s influence in a powerful visiting midfield and, shortly after Pope had saved smartly from Aaronson with his feet, Joelinton headed Newcastle level.
It was a top-drawer finish conjured when Miley performed minor wonders to keep the ball in play and Guimarães used the outside of his right foot to whip in a superb cross.
As the bitter January cold intensified the on pitch temperature rose. A Newcastle corner led to Schär hitting the post and Perri saving well from Woltemade before Pope misread a cross and James Justin watched in horror as his header ricocheted off the underside of the crossbar.
Howe’s expression turned worryingly serious as Schär crumpled in a challenge with Calvert-Lewin and, following several minutes of treatment was carried off on a stretcher with what looked like a serious knee injury.
With Miley now relocated to centre-half, Leeds capitalised on Yoane Wissa’s slapdash pass and broke with alacrity, leaving Aaronson to expertly shoot his second goal of an extraordinary night. Then Aaronson was deemed to have handled Lewis Hall’s cross inside the area and Guimarães made no mistake from the penalty spot. The scene was set for Barnes’s final victorious act.
