The new dawn at Newcastle United was capped in style, as Fabian Schar’s rocket from range broke the stalemate at St James’ Park. It was a goal that propelled his name into the headlines, but his decisive contribution at the other end was arguably just as crucial.
Allan Saint-Maximin sacrificed possession cheaply on the edge of the penalty area just before the break. Lewis O’Brien slipped inside with a jinking run past Joelinton and steered a reverse pass into the path of Jesse Lingard.
Lingard’s eyes lit up until Schar shifted across to divert his effort behind with an astute block. His intervention prevented Forest from breaking the deadlock against the run of play and potentially derailing an otherwise dominant Newcastle performance.
