Ten-man Newcastle United overcame 81 minutes without its full allotment of players to collect a 1-1 draw with Norwich City, but won’t feel much relief in remaining winless this season with the points-split at St. James’ Park on Tuesday.
Ciaran Clark was sent off for Newcastle after taking down a free on goal Teemu Pukki in the ninth minute, but VAR gave the Magpies a penalty at the hour mark and Callum Wilson scored the chance.
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Teemu Pukki scored late for Norwich, who managed just four shots on target despite nearly 70 percent possession. USMNT forward Josh Sargent started and played 67 minutes for the Canaries, with a shot off target and another effort blocked.
NEWCASTLE vs NORWICH FULL MATCH REPLAY STREAM – LINK
Norwich’s 10th point takes it above 18th-place Burnley, still three points back of safety, while Newcastle is six points back with seven draws and seven losses through 14 outings.
Newcastle vs Norwich City final score, stats
Final score: Newcastle United 1, Norwich City 1
Red card: Clark (9′)
Goals scored: Wilson (pen, 61′), Pukki (79′)
Shots: Norwich City, 14-9
Shots on target: Norwich City, 5-1
Possession: Norwich City, 68%
Three things we learned
1. Norwich clueless up a man until Pukki steps up: Dean Smith has certainly settled the Canaries defending but the team looked like they needed Daniel Farke back once they went up a man and somehow ceded almost all of the danger to Newcastle for the better part of their 80 minutes up 11v10. The stiffened defense will serve them better over the remainder of the season, but not taking three points from SJP and not essentially relegating Newcastle is terrible stuff. Newcastle had 21 percent of the ball in the second half and had taken four of the half’s first five shots and put the only effort on target when Pukki took advantage of Dubravka’s lapse.
2. Magpies, home crowd band together: Down a man for 81 minutes, Newcastle’s players kept pushing for a goal and the St. James’ Park faithful rewarded their men’s effort with plenty of support. That Norwich City managed just two shots on target with their 11 men while the Magpies turned that defense into attack so readily is impressive, even in a points split.
3. As constructed, neither of these teams will stay up: As we wrote earlier over the weekend, Newcastle and Norwich City aren’t just playing poorly but have to get to January without being miles away from safety. Newcastle’s Saturday visit from the third member of their sad sack committee — Burnley — now goes from a should-win to a must-win, and if Norwich can’t bring danger with the advantage presented on Tuesday than it may not be possible for this bunch. Investment is a necessity.
Man of the Match: Teemu Pukki
His pressing, hustle, and, yes, slight embellishment in making sure he got that red card for Ciaran Clark sent Newcastle down a man. His back-post slashed finish was really all Norwich could muster up north.
Newcastle vs Norwich City recap
The Magpies were clearly designed to attack, but had to slightly alter their plan after just nine minutes when Ciaran Clark’s leaping clearance into the midsection of Teemu Pukki led to a breakaway for the Finnish star and a last man back foul for Clark.
Down to 10 men, the Magpies still…. had most of the chances in the match. Joelinton blazed over the bar twice and Callum Wilson sent a rocket into outer space.
Allan Saint-Maximin and Joe Willock were men of constant danger and Norwich boss Dean Smith will have been flummoxed at the lack of attack for his 11 men against the hosts.
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Newcastle got a chance to take a lead in the 60th minute when Andrew Madley went to the screen and spotted a clear handball on Billy Gilmour that changed the direction of Federico Fernandez’s bid to nod a corner kick inside the far post.
Wilson’s penalty attempt was well-judged by former Magpies keeper Tim Krul, but his save bid went off the bottom of the crossbar and into the goal.
Martin Dubravka’s parry allowed Norwich to set up Pukki for an equalizer, but Newcastle’s keeper denied Pierre Lees-Melou late in a critical 1v1 situation to keep a point home at SJP.
