Newcastle 3-0 Fulham: Magpies cruise to victory after European exit with 17-year-old Lewis Miley making history as Newcastle’s youngest EVER Premier League goalscorer
- Miley became Newcastle’s youngest ever PL goalscorer with first senior goal
- Fulham went down to ten men just 22 minutes in, allowing Magpies 3-0 victory
- Man United are stuffed if captain Bruno Fernandes says he thought Bournemouth would be easy – It’s All Kicking Off
To fully appreciate the tender years of Newcastle’s Lewis Miley, consider that he was just 13 during the first Covid-19 lockdown.
Today, he is the remedy to his boyhood club’s injury epidemic. He is also now their youngest ever Premier League scorer.
In becoming so he changed the narrative of an afternoon that was threatening to run negative for Eddie Howe’s side.
They needed a win here after the disappointment of their midweek European exit but, after suffering two more injuries before half-time, the insult would have been failing to beat 10-men Fulham, who had Raul Jimenez dismissed in the first half.
The visitors were just starting to bolt the door approaching the hour when Bruno Guimaraes barged through it and Miley slammed his first senior goal into the bottom corner from eight yards.
Lewis Miley, 17, scored his first senior goal against Fulham at St James’ Park on Saturday
Newcastle enjoyed their 3-0 victory after Fulham went down to ten men in the first-half
Referee Samuel Barrott checks sends off Fulham’s Raul Jimenez after colliding with Dan Burn
Emil Krafth (left) and Sven Botman of Newcastle United celebrate after the team’s victory
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The 17-year-old replaced James Milner as Newcastle’s youngest Premier League marksman and, given what we have seen of Miley in recent months, he could well go on to enjoy just as decorated a career.
Miguel Almiron and Dan Burn added goals before full-time to varnish a scoreline that looked unlikely before Miley’s intervention.
But if Newcastle’s injuries have been unfortunate, the emergence of Miley has been a blessing. You could call him a star in the making, but the kid looks ready-made.
His introduction for the injured Joelinton helped inject energy into a team that were labouring against 10 men. To think, Howe had afforded a rest after seven straight starts. All he needed was 36 minutes on the bench.
But amid the joy of Miley’s impact and a win that returns Newcastle to the top six, Howe is counting the cost of three fresh injuries.
Newcastle play Sunderland in the FA Cup in early January. They’re already sick of black cats, however. Yet another crossed their path when Fabian Schar pulled up with a hamstring strain on 14 minutes.
Off he went to join the queue outside the treatment room. The black cat, meanwhile, waited at the side of the pitch.
Schar’s loss meant four of Newcastle’s customary back five were now absent. The makeshift backline’s afternoon was, in theory, made a lot easier when Jimenez was sent off in the 20th minute.
Newcastle enjoyed goals from Lewis Miley, Miguel Almiron, and Dan Burn to glide to victory
Lewis Miley became Newcastle’s youngest ever Premier League goalscorer
Match facts and ratings
By Jason Mellor at St James’ Park
Newcastle United (4-3-3): Dubravka 7.5; Livramento 7.5 (Ritchie 84), Lascelles 7.5, Schar 6 (Krafth 14, 7.5), Burn 7.5 (Botman 84); Longstaff 7.5, Guimaraes 8.5, Joelinton 6.5 (Miley 36, 7.5); Almiron 7.5, Wilson 7, Gordon 7 (Hall 84).
Substitutes not used: Karius, Gillespie, Dummett, Murphy.
Manager: Eddie Howe 7,
Scorers: Miley 57; Almiron 64; Burn 82
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno 6.5; Castagne 6.5 (Muniz 61, 5), Adarabioyo 7, Diop 6.5, Robinson 6.5; Palhinha 6 (Reed 76, 5), Cairney 6 (Lukic 76, 5); Wilson 5, Pereira 6 (Tete 61, 5), Iwobi 4 (Decordova-Reed 77, 4); Jimenez 0.
Substitutes not used: Rodak, Ballo-Toure, Muniz, Willian, Vinicius.
Manager: Marco Silva 6.5
Sent-off: Jimenez 22 Bookings: Palhinha, Decordova-Reid
Attendance: 52,055 Referee: Sam Barrott (Yorkshire) 7.5
His airborne backside collided with Sean Longstaff’s face and, after a VAR review, a yellow card was upgraded to red.
Fulham, though, showed an improvement for 10 men. Yes, they survived a scare when Anthony Gordon cracked the crossbar and the ball rebounded through the legs of Longstaff in the goalmouth, but they looked just as likely to snatch the lead before half-time.
Their best chance arrived courtesy of Joelinton, who split his own defence with a stray pass and Alex Iwobi ran clear.
He, though, wanted too long to gather his thoughts and, with Dan Burn recovering to apply pressure, Iwobi’s low shot was saved comfortably by Martin Dubravka.
That black cat was soon off in pursuit of Joelinton and his hamstring popped in the 36th minute. With Alexander Isak also missing because of a recurring groin issue, the injured list had extended to double figures, less than 24 hours after finally entering single digits.
Is it all down to bad luck? Surely not and, if questions weren’t already being asked of diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and individual workload, they should be, especially when so many problems are the aggravation of old or existing injuries.
Dan Burn celebrates with Emil Krafth and Callum Wilson after rounding it off with the third goal
Burn finishes off at close quarters after Bruno Guimaraes supplied the ammunition
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One of those making their first start in over a month, Longstaff, had an opening on the stroke of half-time but goalkeeper Bernd Leno did well to charge and block the midfielder’s close-range stab.
The keeper made further stops from Gordon and Miley before the latter found the breakthrough in the 57th minute. Almiron then converted from close range on 64 minutes and Burn turned in after Leno had saved his initial header.
Man-of-the-match Guimaraes supplied the cross for Burn and the Brazilian was tremendous in the second half.
There was, however, no doubting the darling of the home crowd. Lewis Miley is one of their own.
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