NEWCASTLE strolled to a 2-1 victory as Burnley continued to sleepwalk towards relegation.
Scott Parker’s men shot themselves in the foot twice as they suffered a sixth-straight loss to leave them deep in the mire.
Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon provided the tonic for the Mags, who were also boosted by £55m summer signing Yoane Wissa finally making his debut after almost four months through injury.
And the win set it up perfectly for next weekend’s Wear-Tyne derby at Sunderland, with Eddie Howe’s men now having the added incentive of being able to climb above their fierce rivals for the first time this season with a win at the Stadium of Light.
Though they will have to play a lot better than they did here after their sloppy opening. Tino Livramento’s early clearance cannoned back off
Armando Broja and forced Aaron Ramsdale into action.
SEALED WITH A WISS
Wissa ‘waived Brentford bonus’ and struck wages deal to join Newcastle
BIG WEEKEND
Betting column: Best bets for this weekend including Leeds vs Liverpool
Then Lyle Foster curled over from 20 yards as the Mags struggled to get going.
Burnley stopper Martin Dubravka, whose near eight-year stint on Tyneside ended last summer, was having a breeze on his first return to St. James’.
And the Slovak could have thrown his hat on Anthony Elanga’s tame long-ranger for his first bit of action.
The frustration was mounting from the stands. And there were more groans when Aaron Ramsdale, the man who replaced him as Toon’s No2, flapped at Pires’ corner, punching the ball against his own crossbar.
That was the first of three set-pieces the on-loan Southampton ace, who many blamed for Tottenham’s late equaliser in midweek, struggled with as he failed to convince once more while deputising for the injured Nick Pope.
Fortunately for him Burnley just did not have the quality, or belief, to capitalise. And he escaped what could have been a tricky afternoon as the Clarets shot themselves in the foot.
It took Brazilian captain Guimaraes to finally set pulses racing as his fierce 25-yard drive forced Dubravka into a catch.
But the Toon legend was in a much more giving mood for the opener. Moments after Gordon’s strike had cannoned off the outside of the post, the hosts won a corner.
And Guimaraes’ inswinging cross went straight over Dubravka, who looked to get a little shove from old team-mate Gordon, and straight in.
Suddenly Newcastle had lift-off. Woltemade set Gordon away down the right but his teasing cross was just too long for Elanga to tap in. Instead the Swede picked it up deep, spun and fired left-footed towards goal, only for Dubravka to claw it away.
You could feel Eddie Howe’s anxiety growing. No side have lost more points – 11 – from a winning position this term in the top-flight and he was desperate for a second.
And with Christmas just around the corner, Pires and Ugochukwu were happy to gift the Mags boss an early present as Burnley’s hopes went down the can.
Firstly Pires got his marching orders after a daft trip on Elanga, who was clean through but whose touch had taken the ball too far away from him to catch.
Dubravka’s diving save to his left stopped Fabian Schar from doubling the advantage from the free-kick and Guimaraes tried his luck again from the corner, only this time the ball whizzed over the near post.
But the game was done and dusted before the break courtesy of Ugochukwu’s stupidity. Referee Stuart Attwell missed him attempting to catch Gordon’s cross with both hands, but VAR did not.
Up stepped Gordon, who scored his first Premier League goal since January 15 from the spot against Spurs, to make it two.
Crestfallen Parker seemed to opt for damage limitation at the break despite facing a sixth straight defeat.
On came defender Joe Worrall for Lyle Foster and it worked a treat as the second half proved to be a non-event.
Dubravka tipped over Guimaraes’ chip with the outside off his foot and Gordon was unlucky not to grab a second as his curler from the edge of the area rattled the crossbar.
The Toon Army had something to cheer when Wissa came on for his first appearance since his arrival from Brentford in September. But he was unable to add the romance to an otherwise dull afternoon by capping off his return with a goal.
Burnley managed to nick one back right at the death after Jacob Ramsey’s handball in the box. Zian Flemming slotted home from the spot but it was too late to mount any dream comeback
Read the full article here
