Newcastle
Eddie Howe picks his best player in the newcastle team despite their loss against liverpool
Newcastle United were nowhere near good enough against Liverpool on New Year’s Day, but one Toon player should certainly be proud of his performance.
Martin Dubravka was Newcastle’s man of the match, producing an incredible display as he rolled back the years at Anfield.
The 34-year-old made save after save to deny a Liverpool side that created so many chances. They absolutely battered the Magpies, and their victory should have been much more convincing.
But Dubravka was the reason that the scoreline was somewhat respectable, even saving a Mo Salah penalty in the first half after Luis Diaz went down in the area. Sadly for Dubravka, he was unable to save the second penalty following Diogo Jota’s blatant dive.
That incident was unfair on Dubravka, who played brilliantly yet ended the night with four goals against his name and a booking after Jota’s act of cheating.
While some of the decisions were frustrating, Newcastle were poor. The Magpies’ best player was clearly Dubravka, and Eddie Howe was very pleased to see him do so well.
Eddie Howe delighted with Martin Dubravka’s performance against Liverpool
Following the 4-2 defeat to Liverpool, Howe spoke to NUFC TV. He was full of praise for Dubravka after the final whistle.
“Martin is a top quality goalkeeper, I have said that many, many times,” he said.
“Today he was outstanding for us. He made some key saves, some very difficult saves as well, saved the penalty and he can be very pleased with his performance.
“Hopefully that gives him a huge lift and it is good for everybody to see just how well he performed today.”
Hopefully this is the start of a good run for the Newcastle goalkeeper
Dubravka is currently Newcastle’s first choice goalkeeper due to Nick Pope’s injury. The England international is out of action for a few months after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Since taking his place, Dubravka has struggled. He has not filled the Toon Army with confidence, leading to speculation that a new goalkeeper could arrive in January.
But the performance against Liverpool was a fresh reminder of Dubravka’s talents, and will hopefully serve as the beginning of a strong run in between the sticks.
In an ideal world, we will not need to sign a goalkeeper. It would be better if whatever money we have goes elsewhere, but that is dependent on the club’s confidence in Dubravka.
It had probably been wavering in recent weeks, but perhaps the £4million man has regained some faith following his display against Liverpool.
