As the advertising hoardings on the St James' Park pitch cycled through their Arabic displays, Southampton briefly appeared as perplexed as a Londoner lost in a Cairo souk. Newcastle were pressing Russell Martin's side with such intensity, it felt like they were playing a different, more intricate brand of football. Martinâs body language grew increasingly agitated, but then, almost imperceptibly, Will Smallbone began dictating the tempo in midfield, and the game began to flow more smoothly.
Despite the early pressure, Southampton actually carved out the first two chances of the match, though both were mishit by Smallbone. The second attempt was inexplicably turned into the net by a clearly offside Jack Stephens, only to be disallowed by the referee. This gave Eddie Howe, the Newcastle manager, a moment of unexpected worry on the touchline.
However, Howe's afternoon took a significant turn for the worse on the half-hour mark. Fabian Schär, the usually dependable Swiss centre-back, was shown a straight red card for a headbutt on Southampton striker Ben Brereton DÃaz. Although the impact was not particularly violent, Schär's forehead clearly connected with Brereton DÃazâs face, making a red card the only possible outcome. Brereton DÃaz also received a yellow card for his role in the incident, feigning a dramatic fall after Schärâs minimal contact.
Schärâs suspension, triggered by a reckless challenge from Brereton DÃaz, will only amplify Howeâs frustrations as he continues to chase a move for Crystal Palace's £70m-rated England centre-back Marc Guehi. His attempts to sign the defender have so far been met with four rejections from the South London club.
Despite being a man down, Newcastle found an unlikely lead just before half-time. Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy made a risky decision to play the ball out from the back, only for Alexander Isak to intercept his pass. The Swedish striker, who had been relatively quiet, calmly set up Joelinton with a neat lay-off, allowing the Brazilian midfielder to slot the ball into the net.
The first half ended with a heated exchange between Newcastleâs Dan Burn and Southamptonâs Jan Bednarek. Burn had apparently been waiting for Brereton DÃaz to emerge from the tunnel after half-time, leading to a brief scuffle between the two defenders.
Southampton dominated the second half, nearly equalising early on when Adam Armstrong's shot was cleared off the line before Brereton DÃaz somehow missed a sitter. Nick Pope, the Newcastle goalkeeper, also produced a brilliant save to keep out another Armstrong effort, highlighting Southampton's clear control of the match.
Nevertheless, Newcastleâs ten men were resolute in their defensive efforts, epitomising the old adage that possession isn't everything. They defended stubbornly and were adept at delaying tactics, frustrating Southampton with each attack. Burn, Joelinton, and Sean Longstaff were particularly impressive in their tenacious displays, ensuring Southampton left Tyneside empty-handed. Despite the disadvantage, Newcastle's resilience and commitment to grinding out a result secured a valuable three points.