It was backs against the wall, but Southampton finally hit their heads against that black and white barrier. In losing Fabian Schar to a first-half red card, Newcastle won so much more. This was a triumph carved by heart and desire and fueled by a seeming injustice.
Joelinton was the winner of the home game, and not just because he scored the only goal of the game in first-half injury time. He defended that lead as if his life depended on it, and in doing so his team survived with a victory that seemed extremely unlikely after half an hour.
By then Schar had left after an altercation with Ben Brereton. Diaz and Southampton were on the rise. Up until that point they had been the better team. Newcastle on the other hand were not very good, with or without the ball.
There was no energy on opening day from Eddie Howe’s team. Twelve months ago, with new signing Sandro Tonali strutting around the park like a gladiator, Aston Villa were beaten 5-1.
The first 30 minutes here lacked all that ceremony. It didn’t feel like a curtain-raiser. If it was in the backyard, you could close the curtains.
Newcastle United beat recently promoted Southampton 1-0 in their Premier League opener
Joelinton scored Newcastle’s first goal of the season just before half-time on Saturday
Newcastle took the lead despite being reduced to 10 men after Fabian Schar (left) was sent off in the 28th minute for headbutting Ben Brereton Diaz (right).
Saints striker Brereton Diaz fell dramatically to the ground after Schar’s violent behaviour
The red card changed all that and Newcastle benefited the most from it.
Depleted in numbers but multiplied in spirit, they and their supporters set out to right the perceived injustice of the officials. Craig Pawson was ‘not fit to referee’, they cried in unison. But while the whistler had been cast as the pantomime villain, the real villain was Schar.
Yes, the red card was as soft as the contact his forehead had made with Brereton Diaz, but it was still a red card. The Swiss defender reacted after being shoved in the back by the Saints winger. Brereton Diaz then fell like a sack of potatoes as Schar moved his head towards him, but the Newcastle man was the tattie.
“It felt really harsh for Fabby but we all know you can’t give the referee the chance to give a red card,” Howe said. “It looks like he’s been put in a well-managed situation.”
But out of that came noise, aggression and purpose. When Newcastle then took the lead, it was illogical and yet perfectly logical. It was their first attempt on goal and, for scorer Alexander Isak, only his sixth touch.
Not that he was the only one to see little of the ball, as Southampton enjoyed 73 percent possession. But while Russell Martin’s team were good, their work was undone by something very bad.
Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy tried to play the ball from the back and it was a fine pass, straight into Isak’s feet, at least.
He came at Joelinton and the control and finishing, both on his weaker left, were like those of the master marksman Newcastle thought they were signing for a club record £40m five years ago. He is not that player – he never was – but the qualities he does have in spades helped him seal a very satisfying victory.
Lewis Hall cleared Adam Armstrong and the same player, aiming for the top corner, was blocked in mid-air by Nick Pope. Armstrong’s cross was then deflected into the side netting when it looked like it would be wise to let the ball creep inside the post.
Saturday’s match was a bad-tempered match with many yellow cards, besides the one red
It proved to be a very busy Saturday afternoon for referee Craig Pawson at St James’ Park
Newcastle midfielder Joelinton celebrates his first goal since 2023
Joelinton’s goal came moments after Southampton keeper Alex McCarthy lost the ball
Southampton manager Russell Martin pictured gesturing to his team’s fans after the match
Joelinton was the gladiator this time around and alongside him in midfield Geordie Sean Longstaff played out the frustration of his brothers in the stands by jumping through yellow jerseys but always avoiding a yellow card. Dan Burn, another local, played the part of site foreman for the aforementioned wall.
“In a strange way, the red card was a turning point in a negative sense in terms of control, but a turning point in terms of crowd involvement,” Howe said. “They felt an injustice. Without that support, it’s probably a different result.”
Newcastle still had as many red cards as shots on target when Pawson – in his first popular act of the game – sounded the final whistle. But what can’t be measured in numbers is the depth of strength they found in the final hour. That said, three points is as good a benchmark as any.