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Karl Darlow, MOTM, England and Alan Shearer – Just a normal night for Newcastle’s number one…

3 years ago
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Karl Darlow had been Newcastle United’s man of the match in seven of the eight most recent NUFC matches.

The goalkeeper rated by Newcastle fans collectively in the interactive player ratings as the top man pretty much every match this season, with rare exceptions.

Karl Darlow undoubtedly adding yet another MOTM to that ever growing list with his display against Liverpool.

Every game the 30 year old has either been winning points for Newcastle or keeping the scoreline respectable. At Man City on Saturday it was a keeping things respectable but thankfully this Liverpool match was one of those where Karl Darlow won his team a point.

A series of outstanding saves meaning Liverpool failed to score in a Premier League match for the first time this season.

For the first time this season, Karl Darlow was joined in the NUFC matchday squad by Martin Dubravka, however, surely Darlow will remain number one unless injury or loss of form impacts on his season.

Playing for a struggling team and facing a barrage of shots nearly every single match, Darlow has been outstanding.

A handful of matches can be dismissed maybe but certainly if Karl Darlow continues in this form, it will surely be a severe injustice if he doesn’t get called into the next England squad.

It has been a long time since England had a great goalkeeper and surely the competition has never been so weak as this. The likes of Pope at Burnley is a decent keeper but not great, whilst Jordan Pickford as England’s number one just sums up the weakness in the position.

After last night’s performance, even Karl Darlow is acknowledging that he has England on his mind…

“It is silly for me to not admit I’m aware of it [talk of England].

“I know what’s going on and hopefully I can just keep performing well and it might put me in contention.

“I have just got to try and keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully it might happen.

“I can only concentrate on what I am doing.

“It has been brilliant to have him [Martin Dubravka] back to be honest, to work with him again.

“It is good to be under pressure.”

Whilst Alan Shearer was also happy to join in with the Karl Darlow conversation after the 0-0 draw with Liverpool:

“You know when you’re playing against Liverpool, the quality of their forwards, you are going to have to have a good game, you are going to have to rely on your goalkeeper at least one stage of the game.

“In the second-half, he [Karl Darlow] came up with the goods.

“He was big and strong, he kept them out.

“There was no way they were going to get past him this evening.

“The defenders in front of him worked extremely hard but when they got past the defenders, he was exceptional.

“Superb.

“We have just heard from him [Karl Darlow] and he should be very proud of his performance.”

Stats from BBC Sport:

Newcastle 0 Liverpool 0 – Wednesday 30 December 8pm

Goals:

Newcastle:

Liverpool:

Possession was Liverpool 73%  Newcastle 27%

Total shots were Liverpool 11 Newcastle 8

Shots on target Liverpool 4 Newcastle 2

Corners were Liverpool 12 Newcastle 5

Referee: Paul Tierney

Newcastle United:

Darlow, Yedlin, Fernandez, Schar, Clark, Matty Longstaff, Hayden, Ritchie (Lewis 86), Murphy (Almiron 67), Joelinton, Wilson

Unused Subs:

Dubravka, Shelvey, Carroll, Krafth, Gayle, Hendrick, Sean Longstaff

Crowd: 00,000

(Newcastle 0 Liverpool 0 – Match ratings and comments on all the NUFC players – Read HERE)

(Alan Shearer gives his verdict on Newcastle 0 Liverpool 0 – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 0 Liverpool 0 – Instant NUFC fan/writer reaction to Wednesday’s draw – Read HERE)

(3 Positives and 3 Negatives from Newcastle 0 Liverpool 0 – Read HERE)

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