Newcastle beat Derby 2-0 at the iPro Stadium, moving them up to second.
Newcastle United beat Derby County 2-0 at the iPro Stadium on Saturday to move up to second in the Championship table.
Matz Sels 7/10 – Another clean sheet for Sels, who is starting to settle in between the sticks for Newcastle. Made a strong save from Craig Bryson, but was largely untested by Derby throughout.
Vurnon Anita 7.5/10 – Utility man Anita has found his home at right-back, putting in another capable performance. The Dutchman had the pacey Ikechi Anya to deal with, but kept him at bay throughout. Anita’s use of the ball was also very impressive.
Chancel Mbemba 7/10 – Mbemba had a couple of hairy moments but was solid up against Matej Vydra and James Wilson. A dodgey back-heel was probably the young defender’s worst moment, but his efforts helped Newcastle shut out their opponents.
Jamaal Lascelles 9/10 – Having started the season horrifically, Lascelles has found his form again. The skipper was colossal against Derby, dealing with everything that was thrown at him. A captain’s performance.
Paul Dummett 6.5/10 – A quiet evening for Dummett, who didn’t really put a foot wrong, although he was never really tested by Johnny Russell. His limited involvement in the final third saw him cruise by relatively unnoticed.
Jack Colback 8/10 – Brought back into the team in place of Isaac Hayden, Colback’s performance shows how many options Rafael Benitez has. The 26-year-old looked back to his best, and his energy in the middle ensured that Derby rarely got the chance to run at the Newcastle defence.
Jonjo Shelvey 8.5/10 – Having scored his first goal of the season last time out against Brighton, Shelvey put in another impressive performance in the middle of the park. The England international was instrumental yet again both with and without the ball. Shelvey’s vision for Newcastle’s second goal shows just how important a player he is.
Matt Ritchie 8/10 – Ritchie did not have as a big an impact going forward as he normally does, but his defensive work was sublime. The winger was constantly applying pressure on Derby, chasing and closing down for 90 minutes.
Mohamed Diame 6.5/10 – One of few disappointments for Newcastle. Diame found good positions at times, but either lacked the energy or technique to make the difference. Arguably should have been replaced earlier.
Yoan Gouffran 8.5/10 – Who saw this coming? Gouffran looked like a player certain to leave Newcastle this summer, now he is turning into one of their key players. The Frenchman took his goal brilliantly, smashing home a volley from Shelvey’s corner. Gouffran’s defensive work was also key, taking the pressure off of Dummett.
Dwight Gayle 6/10 – Having scored four so far this season already, Gayle didn’t get a sniff against Derby. The Newcastle number nine was isolated up top, especially during the second half when the Magpies sat back and defended their lead.
SUBSTITUTES
DeAndre Yedlin (Gouffran 73) 7/10 – Playing on the right side of midfield rather than his preferred right back position, Yedlin was never really involved as Newcastle defended resolutely, but burst forward late on to latch onto Ayoze Perez’s intelligent pass and bundle the ball in to make it 2-0.
Ayoze Perez (Gayle 76) 7/10 – Perez was the ideal replacement for Gayle, and he did a good job of pressing the Derby defence and running down the clock. The Spaniard’s assist for Yedlin was exceptional, perfect in vision and execution.
Isaac Hayden (Diame 88) 6/10 – Brought on late for Diame to make a more solid midfield three, Hayden did what he had to do, winning a few headers and making some key interceptions.
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