After everything calmed down, three things became evident. Luton have earned their place in the Premier League and should remain in it; Ross Barkley is a rejuvenated central midfielder; and matches like this are why the English top division earns so much from international TV deals.
At the conclusion of a frequently disorganized, but constantly captivating, afternoon, Eddie Howe’s aspirations of guiding Newcastle to another European journey in the upcoming season were diminished. Chiedozie Ogbene had put on a remarkable performance on the right wing, while Barkley was reveling in yet another display of his dominant abilities that many believed had deteriorated permanently.
Dan Burn has clarified that he is not the solution for Newcastle’s left-back position.
Howe expressed the difficulty in summarizing his emotions, stating that there were both positive and negative aspects in their performance.
Rob Edwards expressed similar thoughts, stating, “I have conflicting emotions.” The manager of Luton, whose team was leading 4-2 at one point, added, “It was a fantastic game and I am proud of how we played. We showed bravery and had the opportunity to win in the end. However, we still have room for improvement and will make errors. At certain points, I felt sick and at others, elated, but I believe a draw was a just outcome.”
Reworded: Despite Alexander Isak not passing a last-minute physical exam and Callum Wilson not being able to play a full 90 minutes yet, Newcastle started the game without a designated center-forward. However, this did not stop them from scoring an early goal. Lewis Miley’s impressive pass and Kieran Trippier’s cross set up Sean Longstaff to take a powerful first-time shot that Thomas Kaminski was unable to save.
Not that Luton, buoyed up by Tuesday’s 4-0 win against Brighton, were about to surrender. The visitors had started brightly with the exciting Ogbene repeatedly dodging Burn and they swiftly equalised when Barkley’s floated free-kick was nodded back across goal, enabling Gabriel Osho to rise above all comers and head beyond Martin Dubravka.
Although Luton’s skilled set-piece players were quite entertaining, their tendency to maintain a high defensive line often left them vulnerable to attack from Newcastle. As expected, Newcastle took advantage of this and regained their lead when Anthony Gordon outpaced the defense, leaving Osho behind.
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The attacking player, who had to step in as a center forward, quickly challenged Kaminski with a shot that the goalkeeper could only deflect, resulting in the ball falling favorably for Longstaff to score. This was followed by another impressive goal. Additionally, the midfielder, who dreams of playing for England, did a convincing imitation of Frank Lampard during his peak years.
Barkley, determined not to be overshadowed, gleefully asserted that 30 is the prime age by not only orchestrating plays from a distance but also scoring Luton’s second tying goal. Fittingly, he initiated the sequence that ended with him calmly placing a shot into an unguarded net, as Dubravka was caught off guard and could only deflect Alfie Doughty’s shot.
Prior to this, Elijah Adebayo, who scored a hat-trick for Luton against Brighton, had not been very involved in the game. However, his clever fake play drew the attention of Sven Botman and his teammates, allowing Barkley to easily choose his target.
At half-time, Howe substituted Wilson for the injured Gordon. However, before Wilson could have an effect on the game, Luton was awarded a penalty through a review by the video assistant referee after Burn pulled back Ogbene.
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Carlton Morris advanced and scored against Dubravka, but Bramall instructed him to take the kick again as it was taken too hastily. Showing impressive composure, Morris successfully converted the penalty again and this time, it was counted.
Burn’s decision to give up possession led to Barkley passing the ball to Adebayo, who then took a shot into the lower corner.
Howe made a move by substituting Tino Livramento and Harvey Barnes. This motivated Trippier, who then scored a goal to bring the score to 3-4 with a great volley. Barnes, who had been injured since September, also returned to the game and managed to score with his left foot after a loose ball.
Although Luton were struggling, they came close to winning the game during 10 minutes of added time. This was thanks to Barkley’s high pass that set up Ogbene’s shot, which was saved by Dubravka.
Edwards stated, “That is the approach we must maintain. It may not have been flawless, but we did more things correctly than incorrectly.”
Source: theguardian.com
