Newcastle 4 v Leeds United 3
In one of the great games of the recent Premier League era Newcastle beat Leeds United in a mad, seven goal thriller at St James' Park.
In the second of two recent trips to the northeast following their 1-1 draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, Leeds almost came away with another draw but were denied by the latest ever Premier League goal.
Harvey Barnes' dramatic stoppage-time winner in the 102nd minute capped off a chaotic match that saw leads change hands multiple times, ending Leeds' impressive seven-match unbeaten run. Newcastle's resilience shone through as they overcame deficits twice, with late penalties and a last-gasp goal securing the points in front of a raucous home crowd.
Leeds started well, applying early pressure and forcing Newcastle into errors. Pascal Struijk nearly opened the scoring with a glancing header from a Stach set-piece, but it sailed over. Then, Newcastle thought they had taken the lead when Schär bundled in a goal, but it was disallowed for a foul on Brazilian stopper Perri in the Leeds goal.
The visitors then broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute when Calvert-Lewin released Brenden Aaronson, who drilled a low drive into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Newcastle responded quickly, equalizing four minutes later as Barnes forced home a loose ball after a scramble in the Leeds area. Drama ensued in first-half stoppage time when a handball by Thiaw led to a penalty for Leeds. Dominic Calvert-Lewin coolly converted from the spot in the 45'+5 minute, sending the keeper the wrong way to restore the Leeds' lead. Half-time arrived with Leeds ahead 2-1 in a half defined by end-to-end action and defensive lapses on both sides.
Second Half
Newcastle emerged revitalized after the break, leveling the score in the 54th minute when Joelinton rose highest to head home a pinpoint cross from Gordon. Leeds continued to threaten, though, with Aaronson forcing a sharp save from Pope and James Justin rattling the crossbar with a header. Perri then produced a stunning double save from a Newcastle corner to keep the scores level. The match swung back in Leeds' favor in the 79th minute as Gruev's through ball found Aaronson, who again slotted low across Pope and in off the far post for his second of the night. However, Newcastle were awarded a penalty of their own in the 90'+1 minute after Aaronson's handball in the area; Bruno Guimarães stepped up and smashed it into the net to make it 3-3. With over 100 minutes on the clock and the game seemingly headed for a draw, Barnes popped up with the winner in the 90'+12 minute, squirming the ball home from close range amid a chaotic goalmouth scramble. The goal sparked wild celebrations among the home fans, while Leeds were left heartbroken after a valiant performance.
Newcastle were also involved in another 4-3 classic back in 1996, losing out to Liverpool at Anfield.
Line ups
Newcastle (4-3-3)
Nick Pope (GK); Lewis Hall, Fabian Schär, Malick Thiaw, Lewis Miley; Joelinton, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimarães (C); Anthony Gordon, Finn Woltemade, Harvey Barnes.
Substitutes Used: Tino Livramento (for Tonali, 46'), Sven Botman (for Thiaw, 46'), Aaron Ramsey (for Schär, 75'), Yoane Wissa (for Woltemade, 75'), Jacob Murphy (for Gordon, 81').
Unused Substitutes: Aaron Ramsdale (GK), Kieran Trippier, Joe Willock, Alex Murphy.
Leeds United (3-1-4-2)
Lucas Perri (GK); Albert Gudmundsson, Ethan Ampadu (C), Pascal Struijk, Joe Rodon; Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Brenden Aaronson, Jaka Bijol, Maxwel Cornet Stach, James Justin, Ilia Gruev.
Substitutes Used: Sebastiaan Bornauw (for Rodon, 90'), Lukas Nmecha (for Calvert-Lewin, 87'), Willy Gnonto (for Aaronson, 90'), Noah Okafor (for Stach, 80'), Ao Tanaka (for Gruev, 90').
Unused Substitutes: Karl Darlow (GK), Patrick Piroe, Jack Harrison, Sam Byram.
Venue: St. James' Park
Attendance: 52,176
Referee: Michael Salisbury
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