Newcastle United maintained their winning momentum thanks to a narrow win over AFC Bournemouth this evening. Salomon Rondon was the hero for the Magpies as he scored two first-half goals to hand his side a stellar lead, though Bournemouth did manage to pull one back through Jefferson Lerma late in the first half.
Here are the Newcastle players rated in their narrow win over the Cherries.
Martin Dubravka (8.5/10): Made a host of extraordinary saves throughout the contest in order to keep his side in the ascendancy, including a late one to deny Bournemouth the equaliser.
DeAndre Yedlin (8/10): Provided great service from wide and defended diligently as well. His accurate cross down the right-flank initiated Rondon’s opener.
Fabian Schar (8.5/10): Had a steady start to the game before putting in an extraordinary defensive effort in the second half. Indeed, he was vital in Newcastle’s excellent defensive performance, winning four aerial duels whilst making nine clearances – most by any other player on the pitch.
Federico Fernandez (7.5/10): Complemented the effort of Schar and helped him steady the defensive line, despite conceding a late first-half goal.
Paul Dummett (7.5/10): A decent showing from Dummett, who was pretty solid in dealing with Bournemouth’s threat from a wider position. He was key in shutting out Jordan Ibe this evening.
Matt Ritchie (7.5/10): Yet another tireless display from the former Bournemouth star, who pressed relentlessly. Although he wasn’t as effective going forward, Ritchie certainly deserves credit for his work ethic.
Ki Sung-Yeung (8.5/10): Tried his best to pull the strings in midfield even though a pass accuracy of 73% may suggest otherwise. However, the South Korean international played a key role in creating chances for his team in the final third, notably providing a delightful pass to open up the Bournemouth defence for Newcastle’s second of the evening.
Mohamed Diame (8/10): Frequently broke Bournemouth’s rhythm in midfield with some well-timed tackles. He acquired a tackle success rate of 100% while making two clearances and winning two aerial duels.
Kenedy (8.5/10): A tidy performance from the Brazilian, who found it rather easy to dominate the flank in the first half. He notably picked up an assist for Rondon’s second of the evening.
Ayoze Perez (8/10): A lot more composed than most of his teammates in the final third, boasting a pass accuracy of 85%. Aside from that, he also provided three key passes and worked hard throughout the course of the game.
Salomon Rondon (9/10): Stole the show with an excellent display upfront. The Venezuelan international kept the Bournemouth defenders occupied throughout the game while he also did well in holding onto the ball. His presence up front caused the Cherries a lot of trouble.
Substitutes
Isaac Hayden (NA): Replaced the tiring Matt Ritchie to add more steel into the midfield.
Ciaran Clark (NA): Came on for Kenedy in the 78th minute as Rafa Benitez opted for an extra body in defence.
Christian Atsu (NA): Didn’t make much of an impact after replacing Mohamed Diame in the closing stages of the game.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored