Newcastle United Player Ratings vs Burnley: 9/10 for MOTM Wilson; Rest get 7 or below

Burnley have been relegated from the Premier League as Newcastle came away from Turf Moor with a 2-1 victory on the final day of the season.

It was the Burnley who held the advantage over Leeds United heading into the final day, but only goal difference kept them ahead of Newcastle’s visit. However, their six-season stay in the English top-flight came to an end as Newcastle registered a 2-1 victory at Turf Moor thanks to a brilliant Callum Wilson brace, condemning the Clarets to relegation and Championship football next season.

On a traumatic day at Turf Moor, Mike Jackson’s men never looked like grabbing the points from a tenacious Newcastle side after a cagey start to the game and were their own worst enemies by dropping deeper and deeper in the first half. Eventually, they paid the price when Nathan Collins made a stupendous defensive error to handle the ball that allowed the visitors to break the deadlock at the 20-minute mark via a Callum Wilson spot-kick.

And it was Wilson who again looked like the coolest head on the pitch as he slotted home Allan Saint-Maximin’s low ball across the box to double Newcastle’s lead and leave Burnley on the brink of relegation at the hour mark. The hosts then showed a bit of positivity and came back into the game nine minutes later as Maxwel Cornet halved the deficit, smashing in the rebound into a gaping goal.

Burnley then piled on the pressure on Newcastle, but some vital saves from shot-stopper Martin Dubravka and heroic defending by Matt Targett on a goal-line clearance denied the home side from restoring parity. Ultimately, even that would not have been enough when the news came from the Brentford Community Stadium that Leeds United had struck a late winner through Jack Harrison to smash any faint Burnley hopes.

As for Newcastle, they went from winless after 14 games to achieving their highest points tally (49) for eight years and an 11th place finish, a remarkable turnaround as they looked dead-and-buried around Christmas. The Hard Tackle will now rate Eddie Howe’s men after what was, in the end, a battling display from Newcastle to earn three points at Turf Moor.

Martin Dubravka: 7/10

Dubravka had very little to do between the sticks for an hour or so and was comfortable when called into action, but could not have done better to prevent the goal as he parried the original attempt. Against a tough Burnley side, the Slovakian controlled his box admirably and had a few very good high claims when the visitors were put under pressure. He also made a couple of spectacular saves from efforts inside the box towards the end.

Kieran Trippier: 6/10

Trippier did not quite hit his peak strides on the afternoon, but that is no surprise given he is still shaking off a bit of rustiness on his first start since February. Still, the England international performed his defensive duties with minimal fuss, making 3 tackles, 3 clearances and winning all of his ground duels (4/4).

Jamaal Lascelles: 7/10

The Newcastle skipper was reasonably solid at the back and put forth a resilient display with some important clearances and interceptions, while he also won his physical battle with Ashley Barnes with flying colours. The no-nonsense defender was robust and cleared everything that came his way when the chaos unravelled in the last quarter of the game.

Lascelles finished the game with six clearances, one vital block and won almost all of his contested aerial duels (4/5), but the less said about his passing abilities, the better.

Dan Burn: 7/10

Another strong performance from Burn, who has been one of the most underrated signings of January. As usual, he was a colossus at the back and dealt with the threats from Cornet, Barnes, and Wout Weghorst later on. He played a pivotal role in Newcastle getting over the line in this one as he calmed things down when it got hectic, making a whopping nine clearances, two tackles, two interceptions and winning a match-high nine aerial duels.

Matt Targett: 7/10

The Aston Villa loanee has put yet another solid display on what could be his final outing for Newcastle should the club decide against making his stay a permanent one, which would be incredibly harsh on Targett, who has been in the form of his life at St James’ Park.

The Englishman was creative in the first half, playing some nice balls down the left flank for Saint-Maximin to chase down. And he was equally watchful on the defensive front and made a few vital tackles and interceptions before rescuing his team by heading clear Cork’s attempt off the line with ten minutes or so remaining on the clock.

Sean Longstaff: 6.5/10

Longstaff’s steady performances in recent games have demonstrated why he deserves a long-term future at his boyhood club. He was neat and tidy in possession in the middle of the park without trying anything spectacular while putting in a great defensive shift, winning a match-high five tackles in the process.

Bruno Guimaraes: 7/10

Guimaraes was rarely troubled in possession and was pulling the strings for most of the game, but showed his gritty side and got stuck in when Burnley started to dominate the proceedings. He also initiated a couple of good turnovers by pressing smartly and skillfully slipping out of close spaces to release the pressure on the team. Slipped at a crucial moment as Newcastle looked to put the game to bed by making it 3-1 with Wilson waiting for a cutback.

Joelinton: N/A

Newcastle’s player of the season had a few good touches before being forced off early due to injury. A harsh ending to a remarkable season on a personal level for the Brazilian. Newcastle missed his physical presence in the middle of the pitch following his departure.

Miguel Almiron: 6.5/10

Almiron put up an energetic performance, as usual, never looking to run out of gas despite pressing Burnley off the park. He was involved in a couple of counter-attacks, but his poor touch and ball control let him down most of the time. Wilson was furious with him for opting to take a shot from a tight angle instead of laying on the plate for the striker.

Callum Wilson: 9/10

Newcastle are a better team with Wilson in it, and this performance, coupled with the excellent display at Arsenal on Monday night, proved the argument. Callum Wilson is a focal point with his hold-up play and sharp movement, power, and his ability to make well-timed runs in behind.

The 30-year-old striker was comfortably the man of the match with a delightful final-day brace here against Burnley. First, he comfortably dispatched a pressure penalty in a hostile atmosphere before scoring a trademark tap-in from close range to take his season tally to nine. The English striker was a tad unlucky to not come away with a hat-trick from the game, despite some very promising situations.

Allan Saint-Maximin: 7/10

Saint-Maximin was incredibly quiet in the first half-hour of the game and really should have doubled his side’s advantage when he was through on Nick Pope’s goal on the stroke of half-time. But he more than made up for his missed opportunity with a decent assist for Wilson’s second. He kept Burnley on their toes and at times toyed with opposition defenders before being subbed off midway through the second period.

SUBSTITUTES

Jacob Murphy: 5/10

Murphy caused a fair few problems with his pace and combination with teammates after his introduction down the right side. Kept busy with the defensive work as well towards the end.

Chris Wood: 5/10

As expected, Chris Wood did not receive a warm welcome from the Burnley crowd during his introduction. He played the last 20 minutes or so, but did not get any chance to score against his former club, but did his part by winning some important defensive headers.

Matt Ritchie: N/A

Probably his last outing in a black-and-white shirt, Ritchie came on very late and was not involved much to warrant a rating.