Premier League: Newcastle take on Southampton and move closer to their first final in 24 years
The Sovereign Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken Newcastle to another dimension. A little over a year after the purchase of the historic English club, the “Magpies” are on the verge of returning to Europe (they are third in the Champions League places, they are already halfway in the Premier League) and close to their first final in 24 years. .
Eddie Howe’s side have a great run and their Premier League adventure may not be their only success after that. Winning (0-1) against Southampton in the first leg of the Carabao Cup (League Cup) semi-final. They took St Mary’s closer to Wembley and so they could fight for the title. They haven’t tasted the metal since the Fairs Cup in 1969. Their only League Cup final dates are 1976.
They beat some ‘Saints’ who are bottom of the Premier League but ‘beat’ Manchester City in the quarter-finals. They did it in a closely contested game, drawing their eleven game, and what a difference Joelinton made. The Brazilian canceled a goal in the first half with his hands, but in the second half, after a play by Isaac, he pushed the winner into the net. In the next action, Armstrong made it 1-1 … but in his unorthodox shot he touched the skin with his hand.
Radical change
Saint-Maximin forced Caleta Carre’s red card and Isak made it 0-2 in the end. The score is unchanged and Newcastle are 90 minutes away at St James’ Park (The return will play next Tuesday and on Wednesday the first leg of the other “half” between Nottingham Forest and Manchester United) to play the cup final for the first time in half a century. The previous time was in the 1999 FA Cup and they lost (2-0) against Newcastle. Omar is waiting for this moment for a team that a year ago was fighting for permanence, and now it is content with the best of the Premier League and is close to winning titles. How have we changed!
