Yet even the Wolves boss can not have envisaged his players hitting the heights they scaled at St James’ Park as they provided the flawless response to Tuesday’s chastening four-goal defeat to Barnsley.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers won 2-0 at St James’s Park this afternoon thanks to an own goal from Chancel Mbemba and a striker from Helder Costa.
There was nearly a third goal with 20 minutes left, but Bodvarsson failed to find the target following a storming run from Matt Doherty, and Newcastle’s misery was complete when Vurnon Anita was sent off for a foul on Ivan Cavaleiro in the dying minutes. Look to Dwight Gayle to again be Newcastle’s danger-man, as he hunts down a fifth goal in six games.
He said: “You have to change players, but we did it before and we were winning”.
Debutant Romain Saiss had already headed over from a corner when Bodvarsson struck the crossbar after his initial shot had been blocked and Costa’s follow-up saved by Matz Sels.
“The second goal was the same, another mistake, so we made too many and that’s the reason why we lost the game”.
Newcastle finally threatened midway through the first half, but while Ayoze Perez met Matt Ritchie’s right-wing cross with a crisp first-time strike, Carl Ikeme got down to his right to keep the ball out.
“I never felt bad about Newcastle”.
Perez was brushed off the ball without really putting up a fight in his own half, and Costa was left unchallenged as he strolled towards the edge of the penalty area and stroked a deft 20-yard finish into bottom left-hand corner.
Niggles and knocks will inevitably mount up as the season progresses and although some injuries like Aarons, as Benitez says, can’t be prevented, others can be if there is good communication between the manager, player and the doctor.
The miss effectively confirmed Newcastle’s defeat, but there was still time for things to get worse.
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Subs not used: Darlow, Clark, Colback, Gouffran, Yedlin.
