Nick Woltemade has added something fresh and interesting to the Premier League.
And his delectable flick to haul Newcastle level at Brighton was a finish to grace any end-of-season highlights reel.
It was his fifth in Toon colours and his fifth in five successive games for club and country. The German redefining the notion of a ‘good touch for a big man’ is on a roll.
And yet here he was upstaged by one of English football’s old stagers. Danny Welbeck, 35 next month and improving with age.
Brighton veteran Danny Welbeck netted twice against the Magpies to hand the Seagulls victory
Nick Woltemade netted his fifth in Toon colours and his fifth in five successive games for club and country
FLAT TOON
Howe thought his team lacked clarity in the first half. They certainly lacked fizz.
And questions were asked about his decision to start his two Brazilian midfielders after their long-haul trip for Far East friendlies in the international break. Joelinton, who had been a doubt after picking up a knock while on Brazil duty, was one of two players replaced at half time.
Anthony Elanga, still searching for his first Newcastle goal, was the other.
Howe’s team were better for the changes and improved again when he took Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali off.
Bruno Guimaraes kept going until the end and Lewis Miley impressed. They looked most likely to win it when hit late by Welbeck’s second.
Eddie Howe Howe thought his team lacked clarity in the first half. They certainly lacked fizz
VINTAGE WELBZ
At 34, Welbeck is firmly in the habit of upsetting Newcastle. He has scored the winner against them three times in the last 12 months. Twice at St James’ Park last season, in the FA Cup in March and in the Premier League in October.
Here, his goals either side of Woltemade’s equaliser, clinched the points for Brighton and boss Fabian Hurzeler admitted he had been thinking of taking his centre-forward off when he pounced for the winner.
It just goes to show you can get lucky with changes even when you don’t make them. ‘Happy with that, good finish,’ said Welbeck when asked about his second, swept in when a tackle by Dan Burn spilled his way in the 84th minute.
His first was arguably better, a sublime dinked over Nick Pope after accelerating onto a pass by Georginio Rutter.
Welbeck has scored the winner against them three times in the last 12 months
CREATIVE DROUGHT
Only three players have scored for Newcastle in the first eight games of the season.
Woltemade has four, Guimaraes two and Will Osula has one. ‘We need more from other areas,’ conceded Howe. ‘We’ve never been a team reliant on goals from one player.
Nick has done well and we’re delighted. We need more from others. Too many of our attacking players are not delivering enough.’
They summoned a strong finale but the scramble stretched them and left them vulnerable to Brighton’s pace in transition.
DAN BURNED
Yakuba Minteh tormented Burn on his latest return to a club where he spent four years before his return to Tyneside.
With a little more composure in front of goal, Minteh could have helped Brighton wrap this up before the Newcastle fight back. In the end, it was Burn’s tackle on Mats Wieffer that spilled kindly for Welbeck.
Frustration mounting, he became embroiled in an angry exchange with the officials to the delight of the home crowd. Then he came agonisingly close to making it 2-2 in stoppage time. And picked up the game’s only yellow card.
Yakuba Minteh tormented Dan Burn on his latest return to a club where he spent four years before his return to Tyneside
SOUTHERN DISCOMFORTS
Newcastle’s record at the Amex Stadium is dreadful. They have not won here since February 2017, when the two clubs were languishing in the Championship. They have won only two of the last 18 games against Brighton.
Lifts Brighton up into the top half of the table with 12 points from eight games and leaves Newcastle off the pace as they turn their attention to Benfica in the Champions League.
