Ghanaian footballer Kasim Adams has revealed his reasons for choosing to join TSG Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga, despite receiving interest from Borussia Dortmund inGermany and Newcastle United in England.
Kasim made a significant contribution to Young Boys’ success in winning the Swiss Super League during the 2017/18 season, marking the team’s first title in 32 years.
His impressive performances, including his participation in the UEFA Champions League, caught the attention of several clubs, including Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United.
The former Medeama SC player explained that he opted for Hoffenheim due to the club’s project and how well it aligned with his aspirations as a young player.
He believed that Hoffenheim offered the best fit for his career development at that stage.
“When I wanted to go to Hoffenheim from Young Boys. it was not only Hoffenheim who wanted me. I had Newcastle, I had Dortmund.
“I had Leverkusen as well but I chose to move to Hoffenheim because that was how I knew I could grow. Because I was in my early 20s so I still wanted to play more games to grow,” he told MX24.
“If I had moved to a bigger club, they would have seen me as a potential key player but they had lots of experienced players already. At Dortmund there was Hummels. I wanted to grow in Hoffenheim and it was good because they were playing the Champions League.
“I was aware the team had a project of buying young talented players that’s why I chose to go to Hoffenheim. Because I knew I could grow from there and then move through the process to the next step in my career,” he added.
Newcastle United announced on Monday that it has signed Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali from AC Milan on a five-year deal that runs through 2028.
Although no financial information was provided, it has been rumoured that the transfer fee is $76.28 million (€70 million) plus add-ons.
“First of all, I want to thank Newcastle United because they are giving me a huge opportunity for my career,” Tonali said in a statement. “I want to repay the trust on the pitch, giving it my all, as I always have.”
The fee will make Tonali the most expensive Italian player of all time while it is also a record transfer for Milan, eclipsing the €68m deal from Real Madrid for Brazilian midfielder Kaka in 2009.
Once seen as Italy great Andrea Pirlo’s heir, 23-year-old Tonali helped guide Milan to their first Serie A title in 11 years in the 2021-22 season and he was a key figure in their run to the Champions League semifinals last season.
A versatile midfielder, Tonali played more games than any other Milan player last season, clocking up nearly 4,000 minutes across all competitions.
Although Milan coach Stefano Pioli experimented with different formations last season, Tonali was a constant in central midfield as they managed to finish in the top four to continue playing in Europe’s elite competition next season.
Tonali has 14 senior caps for Italy but did not make the squad for the UEFA Nations League finals where they finished third.
Newcastle qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years after a top-four finish under manager Eddie Howe.
Tonali will be their second summer recruit after 18-year-old Gambia forward Yankuba Minteh was signed from Danish side Odense Boldklub.
With the assistance of Chelsea, Everton, and Newcastle United, the construction of the orphanage school building initiated by the late formerGhanaian winger, Christian Atsu, has been successfully finished.
Tragically, Atsu lost his life in February during the destructive earthquake that affected Turkey and Syria.
Prior to his untimely passing, the former Chelsea winger had initiated the establishment of the orphanage school, leaving the project unfinished.
However, thanks to the support from his former clubs Chelsea, Everton, and Newcastle United, the construction has now been completed, ensuring that Atsu’s vision of providing a school for orphans has been realized.
However, his former Premier League clubs and other charity organisations came together to ensure the project saw the light of day.
“A lot of people reached out to us, which was a good sign,” said the Director of Becky’s Foundation, Seth Asiedu on Twitter.
“I think it is through that a lot of people came around to help us. With special reference to Arms Around the Child, we also had support from Chelsea, Everton, and Newcastle United, and Sono Global and some other individual donors from overseas,” he added.
Atsu was laid to rest in his home country in March, a month after his body was recovered from the rubble of the collapsed apartment he was staying in.
He scored the winner in his last game for Hatayspor against Kasimpasa, as reported by GHANASoccernet.
Eddie Howe is optimistic that as the season comes to a close, his Newcastle players won’t be intimidated by the task of earningChampions League qualifying.
The Magpies have four games left to lock up a top-four Premier League finish as they compete for place behind leaders Manchester City and Arsenal with Manchester United, Liverpool, Brighton, and outsiders Tottenham.
The chasing pack may have thought that the Gunners’ 2-0 home loss last weekend would slow their progress and signal a late-season slump, but head coach Howe was having none of it.
Eddie Howe on the run-in:
"The lads have been incredible in every game bar one or two this season. They've given me absolutely everything. Now we have four games to try to consolidate all of that effort to achieve something remarkable. That's what we're looking to do, just keep… pic.twitter.com/BGVtLQwvdJ
Asked if the air around the training ground was a little heavier as a result of what is at stake in Saturday’s trip to relegation-threatened Leeds, he said: “The air should be lighter, not heavier.
“We’re excited, that has to be our emotion. We’re looking forward to the challenges ahead, we’re not in any way, I don’t feel, daunted by it.
“In sport, sometimes the more you think the more you damage yourselves, so play the game. These players have played all their lives and played because they enjoy it, so let’s strip away everything and let’s just perform well in our next game.”
Newcastle head into the latest round of fixtures sitting in third place and knowing two more wins would almost certainly secure a place in European club football’s biggest competition next season – which would represent a significant upgrade on their target when they set out in August.
Howe admitted: “The aim was to not be in another relegation battle, try to stay clear of that and then build a lot of aspects of the team and play to be successful and sustain that success long-term.
“Things have snowballed, now we sit where we do and we’ve done incredibly well.”
In the process, the Magpies have found themselves thrust into the limelight with opposition managers having taken aim at both their game-management and physicality.
Asked if he felt they had people rattled, Howe said: “We hope to be a nuisance for all teams. We don’t want to be nice to play against.”
Howe’s players will need to bring all that to bear at Elland Road, where Leeds are engaged in a desperate fight for top-flight survival with former Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce having been parachuted in to engineer a rescue mission.
He and Howe were touted for the vacant England manager’s job back in 2016 before Allardyce got the nod for what proved to be the briefest of reigns.
“Without remembering, I’d probably say I felt I shouldn’t maybe have been in that frame at that stage of my career,” Howe said. “I felt I had so much to achieve and experience before being elevated to that position.
“But it’s always a compliment and you always take it in the right way, that it must mean you’re doing something right in your job to be elevated to those levels.”
A bullish Allardyce ventured on his appointment at Leeds that he was as good a manager as Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta, but Howe says he was not disappointed to be left off the list.
“I wouldn’t be arrogant enough to push my name into that list,” he said.
Despite a hard-fought effort by the Magpies, the Gunners came out on top with a 2-0 win, which would have gifted the title to Manchester City if they had lost.
The loss was a setback for Newcastle’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
The game was marred by frequent breaks in play and heated confrontations, preventing the home team from finding a rhythm.
In the reverse fixture in January at the Emirates Stadium, Newcastle had been accused of similar tactics.
But, asked about Arsenal’s approach, Burn said: “Of course it’s frustrating, but that’s what they said we did at their place. We get a lot of stick for slowing the game down, which I don’t know if we intentionally do all the time.
“They did that, but it’s part and parcel of football. We can’t do it and then complain when it happens to us.
“A lot of teams tend to do that now when they feel the energy of the crowd, they try and stifle it a little bit.
Newcastle set off with high hopes of repeating their 2-0 home win over the Gunners last season and might have been on their way in front of an expectant home crowd had Jacob Murphy’s early shot not come back off a post or had referee Chris Kavanagh not been advised to review his decision to award a penalty for handball against Jakub Kiwior.
In the event, they were undone by Martin Odegaard’s first-half strike and Fabian Schar’s unfortunate own goal.
Burn said: “We knew it wasn’t going to be the same as last season, where we played them off the park. They’re a lot better this year and they’ve shown that all season.
“They’ve been unlucky that City have overtaken them, but they’re a very good team who caused us problems, especially at home. We’re just unfortunate we couldn’t get the win.”
Eddie Howe, the head coach of Newcastle United, has responded to rumours that Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar would sign with the team for the upcoming season if they make the UEFA Champions League.
Since the Saudi PIF takeover in late 2021, the club’s fortunes have improved both on and off the pitch, with the English manager at the forefront of the transformation on the pitch that is propelling the team into the elite stage in his first full season.
As they presently rank third in the Premier League standings, their potential European membership for the following season would aid them in luring top talents, and several names have been mentioned in connection with them should they succeed.
Cristiano Ronaldo is considering quitting Al-Nassr just five months after joining, while Neymar is also set for an exit at PSG after seven seasons in Paris.
Howe speaks on transfer rumours
According to talkSPORT, Ronaldo is growing frustrated with life in Saudi Arabia and has already witnessed a managerial change with Dinko Jelicic replacing Rudi Garcia.
Neymar had PSG fans protest at his house and chant at him to leave the club in a spate of demonstrations also targeted at Lionel Messi and Marco Veratti, according to The Athletic.
Both have been linked with a sensational move to the Premier League with Newcastle United, but Eddie Howe has other ideas opposed to bringing in 30+ stars.
“A lot of the names aren’t accurate. We need to recruit wisely,” he said, as quoted by Sportskeeda. “We want to discover them before they explode onto the world stage. We need to go underneath, find them young and develop them. I know the direction.”
Ronaldo has previous Premier League experience with Manchester United while Neymar does not, but both men have won six Champions League trophies between them.
Messi apologises for Saudi trip
PSG lost 3-1 at home to FC Lorient at the weekend before Lionel Messi embarked on an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia the following day, which sparked the anger of the ultras.
As Sports Brief reported, Messi apologised in an Instagram video after reports the club had suspended him for two weeks without pay for the unprofessional conduct.
The fans who traveled to Newcastle for Sunday’s 6-1 thrashing have been promised a ticket reimbursement by the Tottenham players.
Cristian Stellini, the temporary manager, was fired yesterday by chairman Daniel Levy due to a poor performance at St James’ Park.
Additionally, Tottenham, who will be overseen by Ryan Mason through the end of the current campaign, will pay for the match tickets for those who were there when the Tyneside stadium collapsed.
A statement released on Twitter said: “As a squad, we understand your frustration, your anger. It wasn’t good enough.
“We know words aren’t enough in situations like this but believe us, a defeat like this hurts.
“We appreciate your support, home and away, and with this in mind we would like to reimburse fans with the cost of their match tickets from St James’ Park.
“We know this does not change what happened on Sunday and we will give everything to put things right against Manchester United on Thursday evening when, again, your support will mean everything to us.
“Together — and only together — can we move things forward.”
United, who are presently holding down the final Champions League slot in the Premier League, are six points behind fifth-placed Spurs.
While Mason’s team made a kind gesture by paying for the tickets to the game on Sunday, it is unclear how the news would be received by the fans who would have paid a significant amount to travel.
The players, though, will hope the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium supporters support them when Erik ten Hag’s team visits since European qualifying is still up for grabs.
Following a call from Liverpool owner John W Henry for stricter regulations on clubs, Eddie Howe claims that additional spending restrictions would hinder Newcastle’s success plan.
Henry, who had previously backed the defunct European Super League, this week expressed his support for additional restrictions on Premier League clubs in order to maintain healthy competition.
However, Magpies manager Howe, who has made significant purchases since taking over at St James’ Park in November 2021, said he would not appreciate additional restrictions on top of the already-existing rules.
“I wouldn’t want to see any more restrictions on spending,” he said on Friday. “We have spent money, don’t get me wrong, but future restrictions would certainly deny our ability to improve as quickly as we want to.”
Newcastle’s sizeable investment since a Saudi-led takeover in 2021 has enabled them to mount a challenge to finish in the top four of the English top flight this season.
They are currently sixth in the table, four points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with two games in hand despite a poor recent run.
Howe’s team also reached last month’s League Cup final, which they lost to Manchester United.
Newcastle, who host Wolves on Sunday, have won just one of their past eight league games and scored only three goals in the process.
“There’s a belief that we can win again and we need, very quickly, to fulfil that aim,” Howe said. “I’ve never sat here and talked us up in terms of targets, top four.
But I have talked us up in terms of what I believe we can achieve and the quality we have in our group and I’m not going to change now.”
Newcastle’s recent lack of goals has increased the clamour for record-signing Alexander Isak to start in place of England international Callum Wilson, who has scored only once in his past 14 appearances for the club.
But Howe issued a note of caution over a player who has missed a significant chunk of the season with a thigh injury.
He said: “He wants to play, like every player. I feel he is there, but is he 100 percent ready to play 90 minutes on a consistent basis? Probably not. I have been delighted by his attitude. I think he’s in a good place.”
Although rumors that Real Madrid, the current European champions, are interested in Bruno Guimaraes, the player feels “at home” with Newcastle.
In January 2022, during their first transfer window after being taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Guimaraes was Newcastle’s most notable acquisition.
The Brazil international made a significant impact last year and has done so once more this campaign for a squad that is competing for Champions League qualifying after also making it to the EFL Cup final.
The LaLiga powerhouse Madrid is rumored to have expressed interest in this shape, but Guimaraes seems devoted to Newcastle.
The ex-Lyon midfielder accepted the North East Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award on Sunday before posting on social media.
“When I said yes to Newcastle, I was sure I was choosing a big project,” Guimaraes wrote.
“From the bottom of my heart, I didn’t expect to live the wonderful things I’m living here.
🏆 Bruno Guimarães collects his 2022 Player of the Year award at this evening’s North East Football Writers’ Association annual dinner!
“Respect for the team, love for the fans and each day feeling more at home.
“Thanks for everyone that made [it] possible to live all of this.”
Guimaraes has three goals in 18 league appearances this season, although he missed much of February through suspension.
Newcastle have suffered a dip in form since the Premier League restarted after the World Cup, with just two top-flight wins from their last nine games.
Back-to-back defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City, either side of their EFL Cup final loss to Manchester United, have stalled their momentum.
The Magpies will hope to return to winning ways when they face Wolves on Sunday.
After shocking a success-starved Newcastle to victory in the Carabao Cup final,Manchester United is now rejoicing over winning the first significant trophy of the Erik ten Hag era.
Both teams entered the game hoping for a win that would serve as the impetus for a better future, but it was the steadily improving Red Devils who came out on top under the arch.
In a 2-0 victory over Newcastle at Wembley, Casemiro’s header and an own goal by Sven Botman put an end to United’s trophy drought, which had lasted since 2017.
Things could have been so different for Eddie Howe’s men had David De Gea not been alert to deny Allan Saint-Maximin’s close-range shot late in the first half.
Within seven minutes of that save the Red Devils had control of the final, with Casemiro heading home Luke Shaw’s free-kick before Botman deflected a Marcus Rashford strike over Loris Karius.
The third-choice goalkeeper, making his debut and first competitive appearance in 728 days, denied Wout Weghorst putting the game to bed in first-half stoppage time.
Newcastle returned brightly from the break but were unable to mount a comeback, extending their wait for a first trophy since their 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup triumph.
As for the victors, Ten Hag’s first ever trip to Wembley saw him join Jose Mourinho as the only United managers to win a major trophy in their first season.
More could yet follow this season given the Dutchman’s transformational impact on the culture and quality at Old Trafford.
The sides were greeted by an incredible din at a packed Wembley, where expectant fans twirled red scarves at one end as a sea of black and white flags fluttered at the other.
The atmosphere translated into an intense, open start, only for poor decision-making to see moves break down.
There was no danger of Karius being beaten by United’s first shot on target as Weghorst failed to make clean contact under pressure, before easily holding onto an Antony attempt.
United fans turned their attention to their owners as the half wore on, with “we want Glazers out” bellowed in front of watching co-owner Avram Glazer.
A couple of breaks in play for treatment took the sting out of a final that had lost its early intensity, only for Newcastle’s first shot on target to spark a frantic conclusion to the half.
After a cross flew across the face of goal, Saint-Maximin took possession at the far post, jinked past Diogo Dalot and forced De Gea into an important stop from close range.
That 32nd-minute save proved a key moment as United were soon 2-0 up.
The first goal came after returning Bruno Guimaraes fouled Rashford on the left, with Shaw whipping in a fine free-kick that Casemiro met with a powerful header past Karius.
A nervy wait followed to check an offside, with the Brazilian punching the air when it was given the green light.
It was a gut punch that United quickly followed up in front of the dejected Newcastle end.
On-loan Weghorst smartly played through Rashford to get away a hopeful strike that was heading wide until Botman’s block inadvertently sent the ball looping over the goalkeeper.
Dan Burn headed narrowly off target as Newcastle attempted to claw one back, but they would have been further behind in stoppage time had Karius not superbly tipped over Weghorst’s effort from distance.
Dalot, who had been booked for a ninth-minute challenge on fleet-footed Saint-Maximin, was replaced by Aaron Wan-Bissaka at half-time, while Alexander Isak came on for Sean Longstaff.
Howe’s side were looking brighter as United slowed the tempo against a side Ten Hag had called “annoying” for their time-wasting antics in the build-up.
Newcastle could not turn possession into clear-cut chances, with inspired introduction Wan-Bissaka and Lisandro Martinez proving immovable objects.
Karius got down well to stop Rashford fizzing home from distance and dealt with a long-range Wan-Bissaka attempt as play became stretched with Howe’s side chasing a goal.
Newcastle saw penalty appeals overlooked and substitute Jacob Murphy fizzed a stunning long-range effort just wide.
The match ended with captain Harry Maguire being brought on, renewed chants against the Glazers, Karius denying Bruno Fernandes and De Gea becoming United’s record clean sheet holder with 181 shut-outs.
Christian Atsu, who was trapped in the earthquake that struck Turkey on February 6, 2023, died at the age of 31. His body was discovered 12 days later.
Christian Atsu carried out a variety of charitable deeds up until his passing. A few prisoners’ release was funded by the former FC Porto player. He also contributed to a few orphanages and helped pay for many people’s medical expenses and school tuition.
Stephen Appiah, a former Newcastle player, paid tribute to the late Ghanaian international, saying he would be missed for his charitable work and for giving hope to the less fortunate.
Appiah said, “Aside from football, we know the love and charity work Atsu has been doing.”
“I think at this moment most of the guys on the street, I mean the hawkers on the street, all had their hope in Atsu, and now he has taken all the hope away,” he told Dan Kwaku Yeboah in an interview.
“We know there is a big funeral coming, and we will all support you with all we have,” he added.
The late Christian Atsu, who tragically perished in the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, is being remembered byNewcastle United supporters.
As an ambassador for the charity Arms Around the Child, Atsu, who had previously played for the Magpies and Chelsea, was working on a project to construct a new school in his native Ghana.
At a charged St James’ Park, Newcastle remembered Atsu by observing a moment of silence prior to their match against Liverpool.
In honour of Atsu, the fan organisation Talk of Tyneside has launched a charitable project to complete the school project. They are requesting support from fans for the fundraiser, which has raised more than £600 so far.
Talk of Tyneside expressed their desire to give supporters a way to show appreciation for Atsu’s service to the club and his work with the charity.
The group stated that Atsu was a well-loved figure on Tyneside, and raising funds for the charity felt like the perfect way to honour his memory.
“Following his passing, we were hoping to find a way to give supporters a way to show appreciation for his service to the club, and raising money for a fantastic charity that he worked with feels like the perfect way to do so.”
Ellie Milner, also from Arms Around the Child, spoke about Atsu’s charity work and how they are determined to keep his legacy alive by raising funds to finish the school buildings in Senya Beraku and support the children he loved so much.
Ellie Milner from Arms Around The Child added: “Christian touched the lives of so many with his charity work, we are determined to keep his legacy alive by raising funds to finish the school buildings in Senya Beraku – and support the children he loved so much.”
Nick Pope’s hopes of competing in the Carabao Cup final were dashed as Liverpool defeated Newcastle 2-0 to reclaim fourth-place contention.
The England goalkeeper was sent off for handling outside of his penalty area 22 minutes into a thrilling Premier League game at St. James’ Park, and he will be sidelined for Sunday’s match at Wembley against Manchester United.
With Karl Darlow on loan at Hull and Martin Dubravka already having played for United in the tournament during his loan stint earlier this season, former Liverpool keeper Loris Karius appears set to have a debut he never could have imagined.
However, the Magpies’ hopes of extending their unbeaten league run to a club-record 18 games had already been fatally wounded by goals from Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo inside the opening 17 minutes as the visitors – the only side to beat Newcastle in the league this season – ruthlessly exploited the space behind central defenders Fabian Schar and Sven Botman to run out 2-0 winners.
Referee Anthony Taylor’s whistle signalled a breathless start by the home side in which Miguel Almiron’s poor first touch from Alexander Isak’s well-weighted pass allowed keeper Alisson Becker to smother his attempt before Allan Saint-Maximin slashed a shot across the face of goal after his initial cross had been repelled.
But it was Liverpool who took the lead after 10 minutes when Nunez controlled Trent Alexander-Arnold’s superb ball over the top and fired past the stranded Pope with his strike surviving a VAR check for offside.
They doubled their lead seven minutes later when Gakpo timed his run to meet Mohamed Salah’s ball over the top to perfection and beat the stranded Pope with the Magpies’ hopes of a reprieve at the hands of the video assistant once again coming to nothing.
A bad evening for Eddie Howe’s men took a disastrous turn after 22 minutes when Pope raced from his goal in an attempt to prevent Salah from reaching Alisson’s clearance and having misjudged the flight, dived to head clear but diverted the ball on to his arm.
The referee had little option but to produce a red card which ended the keeper’s Wembley dreams as well as any realistic chance of recovery in the game.
Dubravka was called from the bench in place of Elliot Anderson, whose first Premier League start had lasted just 24 minutes, but it was opposite number Alisson who had to be at his best to tip Saint-Maximin’s 31st-minute shot at the end of a superb solo run on to his crossbar.
The bar came to the Reds’ rescue once again three minutes before the break when Dan Burn’s header from a Kieran Trippier corner cannoned back off it to safety.
Liverpool retained possession with ease for long periods after the restart knowing their job was all but done against the 10 men.
But Saint-Maximin, in his best form for some time, ensured the Reds could not relax too much with the Frenchman feeding Isak to shoot over on the turn with 52 minutes gone.
Schar headed wide from another Trippier corner, but Dubravka had to dive full-length to turn away Nunez’s 57th-minute attempt as Jurgen Klopp prepared a quadruple substitution.
Alisson denied Newcastle Callum Wilson with eight minutes remaining, before the Reds almost added to their lead in a late flurry of chances.
Newcastle enquired to Everton about Anthony Gordon, but now the Magpies have withdrawn their offer. It is now Chelsea who are the ones said to be interested in getting the English forward.
Anthony Gordon is one of Everton’s best players. That is why certain Premier League clubs are thought to be interested in the forward this January and to have enquired about him.
One of those sides wasNewcastle, who are having a great campaign and are currently third in the table, behind City and Arsenal. However, ‘Sky Sports’ have reported that Eddie Howe’s side have taken themselves out of contention.
Their goal to get into the Champions League is on the horizon, but they have rejected the English youngster, which, according to ‘Northern Echo’, is something that has sparked interest atChelsea. The Blues have already spent a lot of money.
After signing Mudryk, Badiashile, Madueke and Joao Felix, the Stamford Bridge board are thinking about getting Anthony Gordon in order to force players out who do not play, such as Pulisic and Ziyech.
In an exciting first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal victory against Southampton, Joelinton scored the game-winning goal to advance Newcastle one step closer to Wembley.
With 17 minutes remaining on a breathless night at St Mary’s, the Brazilian, who twice saw a goal disallowed and committed a poor error, sealed a 1-0 victory for the Magpies by converting a low cross from substitute Alexander Isak.
Saints believed they had quickly equalized through Adam Armstrong, a Newcastle academy graduate, but VAR’s intervention resulted in the goal being disallowed for handball.
Joelinton’s first-half attempt was controversially called out for what officials determined to be a handball, and early in the second period he wastefully shot over with the goal open.
Defender Duje Caleta-Car was ejected four minutes from time for a second bookable offense, and Southampton concluded the tense match with 10 men.
The home team had plenty of opportunities to tie or go ahead of the north-east team, but Nick Pope was in brilliant form to stop Che Adams and Armstrong’s disappointment against his old team.
As Newcastle sought to win its first significant domestic prize since 1955, manager Eddie Howe urged his team to push themselves more upon arrival on the south coast.
The high-flying Magpies stuck with the team which began Saturday’s goalless Premier League draw at Crystal Palace, while struggling Saints made four changes, including full debuts to January signings Carlos Alcaraz and Mislav Orsic.
Howe’s men had the better of an uninspiring opening period which lacked quality and chances but contained a major talking point.
Newcastle midfielder Joe Willock was at the heart of the most promising openings.
The former Arsenal player twice fired woefully over when unmarked, before sparking the contentious 39th-minute incident by bursting clear on the left and cutting inside Lyanco to force a low stop out of Saints goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu.
Although Mohammed Salisu managed to block Callum Wilson’s initial follow-up effort, Joelinton thumped home the resultant loose ball, only for referee Stuart Attwell to penalise him for handball.
VAR was introduced for this round of the competition but, despite serious debate about where the ball struck Joelinton, the onfield decision was not overturned.
There were then worrying scenes when Southampton winger Moussa Djenepo was forced off after a heavy collision with visiting goalkeeper Pope, to be replaced by Armstrong.
Newcastle were resounding 4-1 winners on this ground in the Premier League in November, leading to the dismissal of former Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Miguel Almiron opened the scoring that day and he created two golden chances early in the second period as the away side attempted to eradicate that first-half frustration.
Joelinton somehow fired over in the 53rd minute following Almiron’s neat one-two with Sean Longstaff on the right, before Sven Botman hit the side-netting from a more difficult opening a minute later.
Pope registered nine successive clean sheets after conceding here just under three months ago.
The England keeper underlined his international credentials by twice denying Adams, the first time after the Saints substitute was sent clean through by Alcaraz, before Newcastle snatched the advantage.
Sweden striker Isak burst away from Lyanco on the right and delivered a perfect low cross for Joelinton to finally put his name on the scoresheet.
Newcastle’s sold-out away end was still revelling in the prospect of a first Wembley cup final since 1999 when Southampton thought they had levelled.
Armstrong scruffily finished after Samuel Edozie turned the ball across goal but the joy was cut short by Stockley Park.
Tempers then threatened to boil over in the closing stages.
A coming together between Bruno Guimaraes and Lyanco sparked a mass brawl, before Caleta-Car, cautioned for scything down Almiron in the first half, was sent off for upending Allan Saint-Maximin.
Isak came close to doubling the advantage in added time but hit the side- netting after rounding Bazunu.
Newcastle now have a fixture-free week to prepare for the return meeting, while Saints go to St James’ Park following an FA Cup fourth-round clash with Blackpool.
After a goalless draw at Crystal Palace extended their undefeated streak to 15 Premier League games, Newcastle moved up to third place in the standings.
The guests controlled the majority of the possession throughout the game, giving up 15 corners, but Wilfried Zaha’s injury in the second half dealt the hosts a setback.
Goalkeeper Nick Pope of the Magpies, who preserved his ninth consecutive clean sheet across all competitions, produced a spectacular leaping stop to deny substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta the opportunity to break the score.
Newcastle and Manchester United, who play the league’s top team, Arsenal, on Sunday, are now tied on 39 points.
Miguel Almiron received a cross from Joe Willock on the right side of the box, and he volleyed it goalward for the visitors’ first opportunity.
Vicente Guaita was ultimately forced to make a low stop by a crisp left-footed shot from Dan Burn, and the Magpies were back on the attack after referee Craig Pawson ruled Jeffrey Schlupp had the last touch in their struggle towards the right byline.
Despite failing to capitalize on Kieran Trippier’s ensuing corner, Newcastle continued to apply pressure as Fabian Schar flicked the ball to Joelinton, who sent a meek effort straight at Guaita from a distance of 10 yards.
Joelinton remained in the hunt for an opener and struck from close range, the ball appearing to take a deflection off Tyrick Mitchell’s arm, but a quick VAR check determined there was no handball.
The hosts survived another Newcastle set piece when Eberechi Eze was punished for bringing down Almiron on the right and the ball bounced off Schar before Guaita claimed it out of the air.
Palace could have taken the lead before half-time through Eze’s corner, which found Chris Richards in a good position in front of goal but the American – making his second start for Palace – could only nod over the crossbar.
Palace were unable to create any real chances after the break, while Newcastle could not find the finishing touch as Joelinton saw a right-footed effort blocked, Bruno Guimaraes directed a dangerous effort wide and Sven Botman missed a good opportunity to nod in an opener.
It was more bad news for the Eagles when talisman Zaha, making his 450th start, pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury forcing boss Patrick Vieira to bring on Michael Olise in the 65th minute.
It took a fine leaping save from Pope to avoid falling behind when the ball pinged around the area before landing at the feet of substitute Mateta, who unleashed an effort towards the top-left corner but watched the Magpies keeper tip away Palace’s best chance of the match.
The visitors continued to enjoy a considerable possession advantage through 80 minutes but were denied taking the lead by Guaita, who got his gloves on Alexander Isak’s header before blocking another from Schar.
Neither side was able to make anything of four minutes of added time, though 17-year-old substitute David Ozoh was still able to enjoy a milestone moment when he became the youngest player to play for Palace in the Premier League.
It was the second time the teams have drawn a blank, with a Carabao Cup clash going to penalties following a goalless stalemate.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “Shortly before 01:20am today, officers pulled over a vehicle in the Ponteland Road area of Newcastle and arrested the occupant.
“Joelinton Cassio, 26, of Ponteland, has since been charged with driving whilst above the prescribed limit for alcohol.”
On January 26, in between the first and second legs of United’s EFL Cup semifinal against Southampton, Joelinton will appear before magistrates in Newcastle.
Only five players have appeared in more games for Newcastle this season than the Brazilian, who has started 19 of Newcastle’s 23 games.
Dan Burn, a longtime Newcastle supporter, scored the team’s first goal as tenacious Leicester finally gave up to put Newcastle on the path to their first League Cup semi-final in 47 years.
In front of a jubilant crowd of 52,009 spectators at St James’ Park, the £13 million January signing’s 60th-minute goal and a nice finish from Joelinton were enough to secure a 2-0 Carabao Cup quarter-final victory and keep the Magpies’ hopes of winning their first domestic trophy since their 1955 FA Cup victory alive.
Eddie Howe’s side once again failed to take advantage of first-half opportunities but eventually did not pay the price in this instance, three days after a significantly altered team was eliminated from that competition by League One Sheffield Wednesday.
With substitute Jamie Vardy making two uncharacteristic errors late on, the Foxes may have clawed their way back into the game, but Newcastle deserved to win.
Within a minute of the game’s beginning, they might have taken the lead when Sean Longstaff missed a cross from Miguel Almiron after the midfielder had raced upfield from deep inside his own half and found Joe Willock on the left.
Two minutes later, with Almiron again the catalyst, Bruno Guimaraes blasted a long-range effort beyond goalkeeper Danny Ward’s right post as the Magpies looked to replicate the explosive start to their Boxing Day trip to Leicester, which created the groundwork for a 3-0 Premier League victory.
The visitors simply could not force their way into the game, with Patson Daka threatening sporadically on the break, although former Magpie Ayoze Perez did warm Nick Pope’s hands with a 14th-minute drive.
Guimaraes missed the target once again after Willock and Joelinton had linked well down the left, and it took a fine reaction save by Ward to deny Longstaff after his defence had failed to clear Kieran Trippier’s 19th-minute free-kick.
However, Trippier had to improvise to clear Daka’s low cross with a back-heeled flick after Timothy Castagne had countered and Pope raced from his line to prevent Harvey Barnes from connecting with Perez’s through-ball.
The home side rather lost their way as the first half drew to a close, although Almiron whipped a shot into Ward’s midriff and the keeper then palmed away another Guimaraes strike amid a late flurry.
Joelinton’s low drive come back off the foot of the post within seconds of the restart, but Youri Tielemans saw his 50th-minute shot deflected over as the visitors responded.
Burn headed Trippier’s free-kick over when he might have done better and Ward denied Longstaff once again, but Burn’s moment finally arrived as the clock reached the hour mark.
The 6’6” full-back burst into the penalty area from the left after the Foxes had conceded possession cheaply and fired across Ward and inside the fire post to send the home crowd into raptures.
It was 2-0 within 12 minutes when Joelinton provided the perfect finish to Almiron’s perfectly-weighted pass, although Vardy passed up two glorious opportunities to reduce the deficit in quick succession as the home side slept.
Newcastle advanced to the Carabao Cup quarterfinals thanks to an own goal by Adam Smith as Eddie Howe’s team defeated Bournemouth.
The Magpies’ 1-0 triumph at St. James’ Park thanks to the Cherries captain’s 67th-minute tragedy gives them more confidence that they can break their domestic trophy drought, which dates back to 1955.
If the victory was deserved—the Magpies dominated for the majority of the 90 minutes in front of a supportive crowd of 51,579—it was hard-fought. Goalkeeper Nick Pope had to make saves from Dominic Solanke and Jack Stacey to maintain his clean sheet and secure a seventh straight victory.
Howe made a bold statement when he selected Pope, Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes, and Callum Wilson as his starting lineup’s five returning World Cup heroes.
After Lewis Cook brought Joelinton back in the 13th minute, Trippier curled a free kick over, and seconds after, Sean Longstaff blasted well off target after intercepting an errant pass from Adam Smith.
As the visitors countered, Pope had to be alert to catch Kieffer Moore’s knock-down before Ryan Christie, but Pope’s opponent Mark Travers was relieved to see Schar’s piledriver go just wide of his right post in the 20th minute with no chance of getting to it.
With Bournemouth defending deep, Howe and his assistant Jason Tindall were constantly urging their team to move the ball more quickly. After 26 minutes, they believed they had taken the lead when Wilson pushed a shot past Travers, only to be met by a delayed offside flag.
The Newcastle players increased their efforts as the England forward headed a driving Trippier cross over and then fired a well-placed volley that cleared the crossbar in the 35th minute, but Travers easily stopped Guimaraes’ long-range attempt six minutes before halftime.
On the stroke of halftime, Miguel Almiron should have opened the score, but he miskicked as he met Dan Burn’s cross beyond the far post. The home team was fortunate that a deft stoppage-time combination involving Jaidon Anthony, Jordan Zemura, and Solanke ended in futility.
With Schar failing to connect with an attractive Trippier free-kick in front of goal in the opening moments of the second half, the Magpies lacked the necessary precision. They were also given a warning in the 57th minute when Moore fired a diving header over from Smith’s cross.
The game started to open up as Anthony and Zemura had more influence and Bournemouth launched a series of counterattacks, but the visitors ultimately contributed to their own demise when the deadlock was finally broken.
Despite the best efforts of teammate Marcos Senesi on the line, Smith valiantly battled in the air to keep Wilson from receiving Trippier’s cross, but ultimately only managed to head the ball into his own net.
In the final 16 minutes, Stacey put Pope to the test with a hard-hit attempt, and Travers had to dive to stop Guimaraes’ deflected effort. However, Solanke was stopped at the last second by the England goalkeeper.
Manchester United were held to a frustrating goalless draw against Newcastle at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The hosts were left fuming after referee Craig Pawson ruled out two Cristiano Ronaldo strikes early in the second half.
Erik ten Hag’s side also felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Jadon Sancho was brought down inside the area.
The result sees United remain in fifth place while Newcastle sit a position behind them in sixth.
The visitors wanted a penalty of their own after nine minutes when Callum Wilson was challenged by Raphael Varane but referee Pawson wasn’t interested.
Newcastle had the best chance of the first half when Joelinton twice struck the woodwork in quick succession from close range after 24 minutes.
The hosts produced their best moment after 38 minutes when a quick counter attack saw Antony’s shot well saved by Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Following a slugging first half, United started better after the break and Ronaldo saw two goals disallowed in quick succession.
The first was due to an offside earlier in the buildup while the second incident moments later was far more controversial.
Fabian Schar appeared to pass a free kick back to Pope and Ronaldo intercepted the pass to score but the referee ruled it out.
The hosts were even more furious when the referee turned away a penalty when Sancho appeared to be clipped by Sean Longstaff inside the area.
United had two big chances to win the game late on but Fred and substitute Marcus Rashford both missed from close range.
The Football Association has banned some members in the backroom teams of Liverpooland Newcastle United following an altercation at the end of last month’s Premier League meeting at Anfield.
On August 31, Newcastle came close to taking a point from their trip to Liverpool but Fabio Carvalho scored a 98th-minute winner.
This sparked a touchline fracas where Newcastle sports scientist Daniel Hodges appeared to throw a bottle into the Liverpool technical area, prompting the Football Association (FA) to investigate.
The FA subsequently brought charges against both Hodges and Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, and it has now been confirmed the men will serve one-match touchline bans.
A statement released on Thursday said: “Coaches from Liverpool FC and NewcastleUnited FC have been banned, fined and warned for breaching FA Rule E3 during their Premier League game on Wednesday 31 August 2022.
“John Achterberg and Daniel Hodges both admitted that their behaviour during the 98th minute was improper, and the Liverpool FC coach also accepted that he used abusive and insulting gestures.
“An independent Regulatory Commission has fined the Liverpool FC and Newcastle United FC coaches £7,000 and £6,000 respectively, banned them from the touchline for one fixture, and warned them as to their future conduct.”
The Football Association has charged Newcastle’s coach Daniel Hodges and Liverpool’s John Achterberg with improper behaviour.
The two coaches had an incident during the Reds’ 2-1 win on 31 August.
Member’s of both teams’ coaching staff clashed after Fabio Carvalho’s 98th-minute winner.
Achterberg, Liverpool’s goalkeeping coach, is also alleged to have used abusive and/or insulting gestures.
Both Daniel Hodges and John Achterberg have until September 8 to respond to the charge.
It follows a review by the FA into incident where a Newcastle staff member appeared to throw an object towards the Liverpool technical area.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe called the late winner a “sickener” after his side had led 1-0 through a debut goal from £60m record signing Alexander Isak.
Roberto Firmino equalised for Liverpool before Carvalho hooked in from close range to win the game with almost the last kick.
Mega-rich Newcastle had been surprisingly restrained before snapping up Alexander Isak on Friday — but the Magpies could still splash more cash before the transfer window slams shut.
Eddie Howe’s men have made an admirable start to the season, drawing 3-3 with reigning champions Manchester City last Sunday to maintain their unbeaten status.
But Iska was just the fourth signing of the summer, joining Nick Pope, Sven Botman and former loanee Matt Targett at St James’ Park.
Ahead of Newcastle’s clash with Wolves this afternoon, we take a look at where they could strengthen in the coming days.
Picky Magpies
Howe has made it clear that Newcastle only intend to make signings that improve the quality of their squad.
He said: “If there’s a player that we can attract that we can afford and all the other things that you need to fall into place, I want to sign the best player I can.
“But it needs to fit. Everything, those are the conditions that we’ve got and are proving quite difficult.
“It’s a small pool of players but not through us not widening the search — it’s because there’s not a huge amount of players that will make our group better and that’s the confidence [we have] in the players we have. I think we’ve got a really good squad.
“Certainly, I’d love to add someone that can make us better but that is very difficult.
“Our search has been high and wide and far-reaching but I don’t expect the pool of players that we have to pick from to change between now and the end of the window.”
Joao Pedro
Despite spending £60m on Isak, the Magpies could yet target further firepower up front.
They have been linked with a plethora of strikers since the beginning of the window, including Hugo Ekitike, Liam Delap and Goncalo Ramos.
The latest target appears to be Watford’s Joao Pedro. The Brazilian, 20, is also capable of operating on the left and Newcastle have reportedly submitted a bid worth up to £30m for the young attacker.
Alongside new man Isak, Howe’s present central striking options are Callum Wilson and Chris Wood — but both are 30 and the former has often struggled with injury issues.
Acquiring another young, energetic alternative would be a smart move by the Magpies.
James Maddison
James Maddison has already struck twice for struggling Leicester this term
An area where Newcastle clearly need quality reinforcements is in central midfield.
Their first-choice trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Joe Willock and Joelinton has looked bright in the Tynesiders’ opening three games — however, there is not a great deal of depth beyond them, with only the injured Jonjo Shelvey likely to dislodge any of his team-mates upon his return.
The Magpies reportedly made a bid of £50m plus add-ons for Leicester’s James Maddison at the start of the month, signalling their intent to upgrade in the centre of the park.
The 25-year-old’s 12 Premier League goals last season is one more than the aforementioned Newcastle trio managed between them in 2021-22, so he would clearly add firepower to Howe’s armoury.
Jack Harrison
Jack Harrison has started this season in impressive creative form for Leeds
Newcastle already possess a winger of exceptional quality in Allan Saint-Maximin.
But on the opposite side, Miguel Almiron — for all his endeavour and industry — is simply not of the same calibre.
The Paraguayan scored just one Premier League goal in 30 appearances last season and did not register an assist.
Reserve options Ryan Fraser and Jacob Murphy do not represent an obvious step up in quality either — hence the Magpies’ pursuit of a top-class wide man.
They chose to walk away from the hefty-priced Moussa Diaby of Bayer Leverkusen and have since turned their attention to 25-year-old Leeds star Jack Harrison.
The Magpies have reportedly been rebuffed twice in their efforts to land the left-footed winger, though, with bids of around the £20m mark deemed insufficient by the Yorkshire outfit.
Left-back cover
Newcastle would benefit from acquiring another left-back to compete with Matt Targett
Left-back is not a position of immediate concern, given Targett’s loan deal has just been made permanent.
However, the former Aston Villa full-back picked up an injury against Nottingham Forest on the opening day, with Dan Burn called upon to fill in.
The towering defender played in that position frequently for Brighton, though Howe clearly sees him primarily as a centre-back and would prefer to utilise him in the middle.
Despite that desire, Burn has been selected on the left ahead of Matt Ritchie, Paul Dummett and Jamal Lewis — indicating a lack of trust in those options.
If Howe can move some of his fringe players on, finding a capable alternative to Targett may be an avenue he looks to pursue.
Former Manchester United, Newcastle and England striker Andrew Cole has opened up about his “daily grind” in shielding from the coronavirus pandemic.
Cole is one of over a million people more vulnerable to the virus after having a kidney transplant in 2017.
The 48-year-old told BBC Radio 5 Live that “no day comes easy” as he continues to self-isolate alone.
“It’s a difficult period but it’s just a case of getting your head down and doing what you can,” he said.
“You don’t know how you’re going to feel, and there are good days and bad days.
“It’s a total lack of energy and you question yourself on what you did the day before, but you cannot come up with an answer because you did nothing yesterday to make you feel like you do today.
“Mentally, that is when it starts to get to you a bit.”
Cole, who won 15 England caps, also played for Arsenal, Fulham, Bristol City, Blackburn, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Birmingham, Sunderland, Burnley and Nottingham Forest in a 19-year career.
He remains the third highest scorer in Premier League history with 187 goals, winning five league titles, two FA Cups and the 1999 Champions League with Manchester United, and a League Cup with Blackburn.
Cole suffered kidney failure in 2015 after contracting an airborne virus, and now says a lack of human interaction is one of the “toughest challenges”.
“The first couple of weeks were not bad but the last month or so has been really difficult due to the fact you’re not allowed to go out,” he added.
“You can talk on the phone or on Zoom, but ultimately, the difficult part has been not being able to interact with people.
“I’ve been by myself and I think we will all spend more times with friends and family after this because you just don’t know what’s going to happen in the world nowadays.”
The former striker has set up the Andy Cole Fund to raise money for kidney research, but he says raising awareness of the illness is more important than the funds.
“People do not understand how difficult an illness this is,” he said.
“People ask me if I’m OK because I look really well, but I try and explain to them that I’m never going to be OK.
“However you look on the outside is not how you feel on the inside.”
The government has been urged to “take a role” in the potential £300m Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United.
Clive Betts, the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Football, said Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in pirate network beoutQ “should be an immediate priority for regulatory scrutiny surrounding the takeover”.
The broadcaster has been illegally showing Premier League matches in the Middle East.
It is understood the Premier League is carrying out the necessary paperwork with regards to its owners’ and directors’ test for the proposed takeover of the Magpies.
Saudi broadcaster Arabsat has always denied that beoutQ uses its frequencies to broadcast illegally.
Earlier this week, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said the issue was a matter for the Premier League, but Betts thinks intervention is needed and the government should “not sit on the bench”.
“The government does have a responsibility. They should be looking into it. Football is the sport and there is a national interest in this,” he told BBC Sport.
“Where you have a conflict over the potential undermining of commercial contracts by organisations seeking to buy a club then that’s much closer to home.”
Betts says he is worried that broadcast rights-holders like Qatar-based beIN Sport – which has urged the Premier League to “interrogate” the takeover – may reconsider their partnerships if the piracy continues.
Betts added: “Why would you sign contracts and pay money if others just take it for free? It undermines the whole Premier League and it’s like inviting a cuckoo into the nest.
“While the Premier League needs to seriously look at any potential conflict between the ownership of a football club and the alleged three-year theft of UK media rights by the future owner, the government should take a role, not sit on the bench.”
The purpose of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Football is to “raise matters of importance with the football authorities”.
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