A point which might prove vital at end of the season
WINNING at St James’ Park may be a problem for Newcastle United at the moment - but at least they have stopped losing games so frequently on Tyneside.
When Jordan Ayew headed Swansea City into the lead on the hour mark on Saturday, Magpies fans understandably feared a defeat against the Premier League’s bottom side was forthcoming.
However, substitute Joselu rose off the bench to provide an excellent finish in the 68th minute which ensured Rafa Benitez’s side secured what could yet prove to be a valuable point come the end of the season.
There were plenty of other incidents on show too - here, NUFC writer Chris Waugh takes you through the moments you might have missed from a controversyfilled relegation clash at St James’ Park...
Numbers in football are becoming bizarre
In the Swans’ starting line up, Oliver McBurnie was donning the No 62 jersey.
He was later replaced by Wilfried Bony who, as a centre-forward, was wearing the No 2 shirt.
Football numbering has changed in recent years but it is now becoming utterly bizarre.
A return to Rafa Benitez’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation
At Stoke City, Benitez deployed two makeshift strikers in Christian Atsu and Ayoze Perez but he did set United up in a 4-4-2 formation
However, against Swansea his preferred 4-2-3-1 system was back, with Perez behind Dwight Gayle, Atsu on the left and Matt Ritchie on the right. In defence, as it often is, it was more like a 4-4-2, though.
“A push, a push”
When Mo Diame conceded a freekick midway inside his own half for a foul on Tom Carroll, Benitez remonstrated - but not because he thought that was an incorrect decision.
Instead, the Spaniard was angered that, just before Diame’s foul it appeared as if Atsu had been pushed in the back by Nathan Dyer.
Benitez turned to the fourth official, pushed his hands out in front of him and shouted: “A push, a push.”
A waste of a dangerous free-kick for NUFC
Newcastle’s set-piece delivery was poor all afternoon but there was one free-kick in particular which appeared to be a waste for the Magpies. Atsu had won a foul right on the edge of the Swansea D, meaning United had an excellent opportunity to open the scoring after 33 minutes. Jonjo Shelvey stepped up to take it but, rather than try to hit it low under the wall or merely caress it into the corner, he went for height and power and the ball sailed over the bar and into the stands.
A handball which wasn’t leaves Carvalhal understandably frustrated
Newcastle can count themselves fortunate they did not find themselves a man down and with a penalty conceded after 36 minutes. A Swansea corner was floated towards the back post, Kyle Bartley headed it into the area, and then Mike van der Hoorn directed the ball towards goal. Karl Darlow stuck out a hand and this reporter initially thought the Newcastle goalkeeper had made a magnificent save in a