Newcastle 4 Nottingham Forest 3 – Match ratings and comments on all Newcastle United players | OneFootball

We asked Mark Jankowski to give us his match ratings and player comments after Newcastle 4 Nottingham Forest 3.

A match where Forest scored with their first attack against the run of play.

Only for United to roar back and score four to make it 4-1 at the break.

A nervy second half as Newcastle United looked to manage the match to comfortable end, only to frequently lose possession in dangerous areas.

Newcastle struggling to deal with set-pieces and having gone to 4-2, a 90th minute third goal for Forest had some near shattered nerves by the final whistle.

Newcastle United players – Match ratings:

Pope – 7

He’ll be disappointed with the three goals conceded but in reality he was put at a disadvantage by some poor play in front of him for all three.

Livramento – 7

Tino had Hudson-Odoi well shepherded in the first half and also Elanga in the second.

He was occasionally guilty of overdoing things when in possession of the ball but his pace was essential in stopping Forest’s direct play.

Schar – 7

Marshalled things well from open play defensively but maybe could have been more active in defending set-pieces.

He was a calming presence on the ball when in possession but his trademark passing was below his usual standards.

Burn – 7

If I was scoring this on just his first half performance, I’d have given him a 10 and the Man of the Match.

Big Dan’s second half however, very much echoed the team’s performance. Overly casual and passive.

Hall – 8 (MotM)

He dealt with both wingers he faced well and was one of our best attacking threats in a dominant first half performance.

He contributed less going forward in the second but continued to deal with whatever Forest threw at him.

Miley – 7

As with much of the team today, he was a player who shone in the first half.

It’s sometimes easy to forget he’s just 18 years old.

In all the years I’ve watched Newcastle United, Miley has the potential to be the best homegrown player I’ve ever seen.

Bruno – 7

A completely dominant first half mirrored by a sloppy second half performance.

Ultimately, Bruno showed his quality in key situations, winning important free-kicks and retaining possession.

Willock – 8

Easily his best Premier League performance of the season.

He looked a little worn out when he was withdrawn from the game but he was a willing ball carrier all game and caused Forest plenty of problems.

Murphy – 7

A game of massive ups and downs for Jacob today.

He made a ludicrous attempt at a pass to gift Forest their opener but later redeemed himself bundling in our second.

Isak – 8

He was a nuisance to Forest the entire first half and came away with two goals.

He found things more difficult in the second half but that was largely down to our poor play.

Gordon – 8

He was a constant threat to Forest for the entire game and made Aina look very ordinary.

It’s a shame he didn’t get a goal or an assist to validate his efforts.

Subs

Barnes – 6

Wasn’t really involved in the game.

He won a few valuable free-kicks late on and was mildly threatening on the break.

Tonali – 7

Provided some much needed calmness and stability on the ball when he came on.

I imagine he was rested today to keep him fresh for Anfield on Wednesday.

Wilson – N/A

Not on long enough to judge.

Newcastle 4 Nottingham Forest 3 – Sunday 23 February 2025 2pm

(Stats via BBC Sport)

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Miley 23, Murphy 25, Isak 33 pen, 34

Forest:

Hudson-Odoi 6, Milenkovic 63, Yates 90

Possession was Newcastle 57% Forest 43%

Total shots were Newcastle 13 Forest 17

Shots on target were Newcastle 5 Forest 5

Corners were Newcastle 7 Forest 6

Touches in the box Newcastle 34 Forest 26

(Newcastle 4 Nottingham Forest 3 – Instant Newcastle United fan/writer reaction – Read HERE)

(We love our 4-3s! Newcastle 4 Nottingham Forest 3 – Read HERE)

Newcastle team v Forest:

Pope, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Bruno, Miley, Willock (Tonali 70), Gordon, Isak (Wilson 87), Murphy (Barnes 70)

Subs:

Dubravka, Longstaff, Krafth, Targett, Osula, Trippier

Newcastle United upcoming matches:

Wednesday 26 February – Liverpool v Newcastle (8.15pm) TNT Sports

Sunday 1 March –  Newcastle v Brighton (1.45pm) FA Cup fifth round – ITV1

Monday 10 March – West Ham v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports