Newcastle United to join 'Europe's elite'

Newcastle United to join 'Europe's elite' - National media verdict as Magpies beat Brentford

A round-up of what the national media are reporting after Newcastle United ran out 2-1 winners against Brentford on Saturday afternoon.

'Dusted themselves down and came again'

Luke Edwards wrote in the the Telegraph: "Exhausted, battered and bruised, Newcastle United dragged their tired bodies and jaded minds away from Brentford with one of their most impressive victories of the season.

"Not because they played well, they did not. Not because they necessarily deserved it, either, but because, despite the fatigue, the sloppiness and the mistakes, they found a way to turn a game around they were losing at half time and win.

"Having been outplayed and out-thought in arguably their worst 45-minute performance of the season, Newcastle picked themselves up, dusted themselves down and came again."

'Trips around Europe to look forward to'

Aadam Patel penned for the Mail on Sunday: "‘This is the best trip i’ve ever been on’ sang the Newcastle travelling support in the late afternoon London sunshine. At this rate, there will be trips around Europe to look forward to next season.

"This has been quite the week for Eddie Howe’s side in the capital. After thrashing West Ham midweek, they came from behind to beat Brentford and climb back into third place.

"The next time Newcastle make the trip down to London, they will be five miles from here, at Stamford Bridge for the last game of the season and there is every chance they will have secured a Champions League place by then.

"This was the definition of a game of two halves. After Ivan Toney missed his first-ever Brentford penalty and then scored from the spot minutes later, a David Raya own goal followed by Alexander Isak’s superb strike completed a stunning second-half turnaround for the visitors.

"This, their fifth win on the trot, made Howe the second-quickest Newcastle manager to reach 100 Premier League points with the club, behind only Kevin Keegan and strengthened their hopes of becoming the first Newcastle team since Sir Bobby Robson’s in 2003 to reach the Champions League."

'Their resilience should not be in question'

Ben Bloom wrote for the Guardian: "Halfway through this match, Eddie Howe must have wondered where on earth his Champions League-chasing team had disappeared to. What had happened to the swagger so evident just a few days earlier in the rampant 5-1 victory at West Ham?

"Fortunate only to be a goal down after Ivan Toney had recovered from one penalty miss to convert a second, the visitors glumly dragged themselves into the changing room at half-time having been totally overrun. Were three matches in six days catching up on them?

"Their performance after the break proved their resilience should not be in question. Emerging with a different lineup – courtesy of two substitutions – a reshuffled formation and a refreshed mindset, Newcastle’s players showed their designs on joining Europe’s elite next season are very real."

Newcastle United to join 'Europe's elite' - National media verdict as Magpies beat Brentford

'Dusted themselves down and came again'

'Trips around Europe to look forward to'

'Their resilience should not be in question'

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