Brighton 0 Newcastle 0 – Eddie Howe and his players emerge from south coast heat with battling point | OneFootball

Brighton 0 Newcastle 0 – Saturday 13 August 3pm

The big news before kick-off was the expected temperatures the game would be played in.

Drinks breaks for the players and supporters advised to take on plenty of fluids…

The 3pm kick-off saw the players experience 30 degrees heat and after a fairly frantic and even opening ten minutes or so, the first half calmed down into a bit of a stop / start affair.

The only change for United was Sven Botman making his debut, Matt Targett unable to play after picking up a dead leg against Forest. Burn shifted across to left-back and Schar partnering Botman in the middle.

Newcastle maybe slightly the better team for the first twenty minutes or so and then Brighton edging the rest of the opening period after the drinks break.

Callum Wilson had the ball in the back of the net after Trippier found him in the box, however, the ‘goal’ ruled out for high feet as he lifted the ball over a defender.

Allan Saint-Maximin looked to have won a free-kick in an excellent position right on the edge of the middle of the Brighton 18 yard box, only to be rightly booked for diving  as he’d let let the ball get too far away from him.

Brighton started to get their passing going and found space between the lines. Nick Pope doing well I thought as he was always alert and willing to sweep behind his defence, plus made a few routine saves.

The one time he was beaten in the first half, March’s shot was cleared off the line by Trippier, his two touches perilously close to seeing the ball wholly cross the line but…thankfully the technology showed not.

Almiron had been lively, ASM with spark but not the product, whilst maybe most surprisingly, the heat not bringing out the best in Bruno, caught in possession a few times and not really able to be the dominant force in midfield. Joelinton though contributing his usual full on midfield shift.

Three minutes after the break, Brighton worked it out to the right and a cross found Lallana six yards out. His downward header headed down into the ground and a superb Pope save to his left.

On 55 minutes a bit of a scuffle in the bottom corner in the left-back position ended up with some push and shove from Solly March and Joelinton, both players booked.

Almiron linked with ASM and the Frenchman’s cross from the right on 63 minutes saw a defender just get ahead of Wilson right in front of goal, a corner conceded.

Trippier’s excellent corner met by Dan Burn nine yards out but slightly under it, the header over the bar.

Play switched to the other end and some great last ditch defending saw a number of blocks, the best being one from big Dan Burn.

On 72 minutes it was Nick Pope once again denying Solly March, the ball squared from the right and from eight yards out the Brighton man brought out a superb low right hand save from the Newcastle keeper.

Despite the heat, Eddie Howe not making changes until a quarter of an hour to go, Murphy and Sean Longstaff replacing ASM and Willock.

A break with eleven minutes left, saw Wilson accelerate down the right and put in a great low cross on the edge of the six yard box but nobody gambling enough on meeting it in the middle.

Brighton the more dominant team though in the second half and only determined Newcastle defending keeping the clean sheet. With eight minutes to go another clearance off the line, a shot from just inside the box was met by Burn a few yards off the line but he only deflected it past Pope, this time Schar clearing off the line.

Six minutes to go and the pressure building up, Trippier beaten in the box but the cutback put past the post by Gross from only six yards out.

By the final whistle it was definitely a point won, not two lost.

Brighton looked decent and for Newcastle United, they did provide some goal threat, but fair to say that for NUFC the honours today were given out at the back.

Nick Pope making it two clean sheets and over three hours of football without conceding.

Sven Botman came in and smoothly linked up with Fabian Schar, the pair of them doing well in the middle.

I think a reminder that Dan Burn is better in the middle but he did ok at left-back, both he and Trippier non-stop battling away throughout the game.

Further up the pitch, Joelinton the best Newcastle had, although Callum Wilson is looking dangerous but given not great service.

A reminder I think that at least one or two attacking options are still on the wanted list. Brighton brought on attacking options off their bench that raised their threat, whilst fair to say Newcastle’s subs were more about containment.

However, a really good away point and fair to sum up the game overall – Brighton played well and Newcastle United defended well.

A reminder as well of how versatile Eddie Howe is, ensuring Newcastle United got a point even though not at their best and up against a team playing with confidence. Brighton had won six of their last nine Premier League matches and lost just the one, away at Man City.

Stats from :

Goals:

Newcastle:

Brighton:

(Half-time stats in brackets)

Possession was Brighton 55% (48%) Newcastle 45% (52%)

Total shots were Brighton 13 (6) Newcastle 4 (3)

Shots on target were Brighton 7 (4) Newcastle 1 (1)

Corners were Brighton 7 (3) Newcastle 3 (0)

Referee: Graham Scott

Attendance:  31,552 (NUFC 3,100)

Newcastle United:

Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Willock (Sean Longstaff 76), Bruno, Joelinton, Almiron, Wilson (Wood

87), Saint-Maximin (Murphy 76)