Their best chance yet to pick up this season’s first win comes at home against newly promoted Norwich City, live on NBCSN at 11:00 a.m. ET or live online at NBC Sports Live Extra.
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The Dutchman went on to score four goals as the Magpies recorded a 6-2 victory, their first of the season, and, more importantly, scored Fantasy Football players 25 points.
United manager Steve McClaren, who insisted before the game that Newcastle’s season was going to “start today” said he was relieved the win had finally come. While the pre-season expectation – in McClaren’s words – of “top eight and to win a trophy” already look far-fetched, this is a significant and encouraging step in the right direction.
Alnwick came on for Elliot against Chelsea and made a few impressive saves to keep the Toon ahead, but sadly by the start of January the reserve ‘keeper had conceded 17 goals in just five matches. “In the Premier League, you can’t get away with that all the time”. Cole did that in 1994.
The Black Cats are bottom ahead of Sunday’s showdown, after Newcastle’s defeat of Norwich on Sunday.
Norwich also had a long-range rocket by Robert Brady cannon off the post. This is something for Newcastle United to look at and take advantage of.
Georginio Wijnaldum has admitted Newcastle must deliver against Sunderland next week – and every week.
Newcastle took the lead in the 14th minute when Wijnaldum kept his composure to slide a low shot past John Ruddy after being set up by Moussa Sissoko.
Elsewhere, reports in Italy say Serie A giants AC Milan are regretting not having moved sooner to secure Wijnaldum’s services before his transfer to Tyneside.
And he’s looking to repay their faith in him with more goals.
Sissoko was again the supply-line and, though Olsson blocked his first effort, Perez reacted quickly to missile the ball across Ruddy into the far corner.
“Maybe we’ve got to box a bit more clever when we’re on the ball”.
However, once again, Newcastle didn’t make things easy for themselves, as they left Redmond unmarked from another Olsson cross on 35 minutes, after Wijnaldum had failed to track his run, and the England U21 winger calmly volleyed his side back into the game. The second arrived seven minutes before the break as Yoann Gouffran tucked home a rebound from close range, and they held on for victory despite Leroy Fer’s headed consolation.
But then Sissoko delivered arguably the play of the game on a brilliantly worked counter-attack goal.
Sissoko, playing on the right of midfield, was a big reason for that, but he was also part of his side’s problems at the back in the first half, because he did not track back and help his right-back Daryl Janmaat, .
The first half had resembled a game of basketball with one team scoring only for the other to march straight upfield and hit back.
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Two minutes later and Wijnaldum had his hat trick.
