NEW DELHI: Newcastle United produced a ruthless 8-0 victory against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Sunday. This commanding win featured goals from eight different players and left Sheffield United languishing at the bottom of the Premier League standings.
The victory marked a historic moment for Newcastle as it became their biggest away win, while simultaneously becoming Sheffield United's most significant defeat. Eddie Howe's squad etched their names into the record books as the first Premier League team to have eight different goal scorers in a single game, propelling them to eighth place in the league standings.
Newcastle exhibited no signs of a midweek hangover following their first Champions League match in 20 years, a goalless draw against AC Milan. Instead, they established a 3-0 lead by halftime and continued to break records in the second half.
Eddie Howe, Newcastle's manager, praised his team's performance, saying, "We shared them (goals) around a bit today... I thought we were really good from the start and when the goals came, I felt the confidence in the team returned. The big thing for us was that we really wanted to score, and we weren't content with three. I want that mentality to run through the team."
The match began on a sombre note as it kicked off after a minute's silence to pay tribute to Maddy Cusack, a midfielder from Sheffield United's women's team who tragically passed away at the age of 27.
Despite the solemn atmosphere, Newcastle quickly seized control. They took the lead when Anthony Gordon, a substitute for the injured Harvey Barnes, kept the ball in play on the goal line and found Sean Longstaff, who made no mistake in firing home.
Newcastle's lead doubled at the half-hour mark when Dan Burn, despite having his shirt tugged, managed to peel away from his marker during a corner kick. The towering defender connected with Kieran Trippier's cross at the far post, heading it into the net.
Trippier continued to shine as a provider, this time delivering a glancing header into the back of the net through a free kick, courtesy of Sven Botman.
Trippier's stellar performance extended as he created another goal from open play, this time finding space on the right wing to provide a cross for Callum Wilson, who headed home from close range.
The goals kept coming as Gordon curled in a shot from outside the box, prompting many Sheffield United fans to leave the stadium just after the hour mark. Miguel Almiron then showcased his skills by weaving through the defence to score Newcastle's sixth goal, with Bruno Guimaraes providing the assist.
Guimaraes added his name to the scoresheet when he capitalized on a rebound inside the box, firing home another goal. Substitute Alexander Isak wrapped up the memorable victory with a late goal.
Sheffield United's manager, Paul Heckingbottom, acknowledged the need for his team to learn from the defeat, especially the nature of the performance. "These games are not going to define our season. It's about accumulating points. While there are huge things we have to learn from, we also have to keep a calm head about this sort of game," he commented.
(With Reuters inputs)
