{"id":429703,"date":"2026-05-03T04:21:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T04:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/429703\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T04:21:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T04:21:14","slug":"3-in-4-for-5-4m-osula-positives-for-brighton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/429703\/","title":{"rendered":"3 in 4 for \u00a35.4m Osula + positives for Brighton"},"content":{"rendered":"

Football, eh? In the latest example of not a great deal separating sixth from sixth bottom, out-of-sorts Newcastle United beat in-form Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Here are our Scout Notes from St James\u2019 Park.<\/p>\n

HOWE PICKING ON MERIT AS \u00a35.4M OSULA DELIVERS AGAIN<\/p>\n

Newcastle had somewhere in the region of \u00a3300m-worth of players on the bench on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Anthony Gordon (\u00a37.3m), returning from a hip injury and unused, was among the substitutes. So too were Nick Woltemade (\u00a36.7m) and Yoane Wissa (\u00a37.3m), the big-money forwards signed last summer.<\/p>\n

Instead, Eddie Howe went with, in his words, players he \u201ccan really trust\u201d. The old Benitez\/Bruce-era guard, like Joe Willock (\u00a35.0m) and Jacob Murphy (\u00a35.9m), were again preferred to positional rivals who were meant to be upgrades when signed. It was mostly the side Howe sent out for a creditable display at Arsenal, the one change seeing another seasoned performer, Joelinton (\u00a35.9m), replace Jacob Ramsey (\u00a35.3m) on the left wing.<\/p>\n

Nothing says \u2018picking on merit\u2019 more than fourth-choice striker (usually behind Gordon, Woltemade and Wissa) Will Osula (\u00a35.4m) getting a chance.<\/p>\n

The young forward has started the last four league matches, scoring in three of them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Above: Will Osula\u2019s four starts in a row; he\u2019s had at least one Opta-defined \u2018big chance\u2019 in each of them<\/p>\n

Osula was impressive in the first half here, opening the scoring with a header and stretching Brighton.<\/p>\n

The gauntlet has well and truly been thrown down to the big-money players.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went with players that I can really trust, that I know can handle this kind of atmosphere and this kind of pressure. But I\u2019m not picking the team based on emotion. I\u2019m picking the team based on what I think gives us the best chance of winning the game. Those players have never let me down and they didn\u2019t today.\u201d \u2013 Eddie Howe<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve said many times, I don\u2019t pick the team based on transfer fees. I pick the team based on training session performances. The last game, we got quite a lot of information that we can use to try and pick. And, of course, our opponent plays a part in that, who you think is suited to playing against this opponent.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought Wills [Osula] deserved to stay in the team, he scored two goals in three games before this one. That\u2019s three in four now, a really healthy return. Not only that, he\u2019s got real pace, and defenders don\u2019t like to play against that. I thought he was really good in the first half, with Joe Willock, I thought they both played really well.\u201d \u2013 Eddie Howe<\/p>\n

BURN OVER HALL AT LEFT-BACK AGAIN<\/p>\n

Part of Howe\u2019s hard reset is Dan Burn (\u00a35.0m) starting over Lewis Hall (\u00a35.3m) at left-back. Hall might be off to the World Cup in the summer, and he\u2019s been superb for much of 2025\/26.<\/p>\n

But after being hooked at half-time in Gameweek 33, he\u2019s warmed the bench since. Arsenal\u2019s set-play strengths were cited as one reason<\/a> why Burn got the nod last weekend, but an improved defensive display at the Emirates persuaded Howe to leave things unchanged at the back.<\/p>\n

Burn was solid again and even popped up with a set-piece goal, so Hall won\u2019t be overly confident of reclaiming his place.<\/p>\n

Howe did, at least, praise Hall for his efforts off the bench. One second-half charge from him set up a great opportunity for Wissa.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think our set plays have been hit to a degree by the fact that we\u2019ve had a smaller team for the majority of the year, and of course, playing Dan at left-back gives us an extra header in the team with Malick and Sven. Joelinton\u2019s return was another good physical lift for us.<\/p>\n

\u201cDelighted to see Dan score, but also delighted to see the impact of Lewis Hall coming off the bench, and Harvey Barnes coming off the bench, and Yoane Wissa coming off the bench and all doing well. So, it\u2019s good for the squad.\u201d \u2013 Eddie Howe<\/p>\n

BRUNO BOUNCE<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t underestimate the influence of Bruno Guimaraes (\u00a36.8m), either. It was no coincidence that Newcastle looked better at the Emirates <\/a>with the Brazilian back in the XI after a two-month absence.<\/p>\n

He supplied the corner that Burn nodded in and picked up a bonus point, improving his already excellent points-per-start average:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A whopping 14 of Bruno\u2019s 16 returns have come at home, however, and Newcastle have only one such fixture left.<\/p>\n

POSITIVES TO TAKE FOR BRIGHTON\"\"<\/p>\n

Some praise is due for Newcastle, then, and there definitely has been a modest improvement over the last two Gameweeks. The Magpies were particularly impressive on the break today, while they were a threat on set plays, too. Malick Thiaw (\u00a35.0m) had a huge chance from one dead-ball situation.<\/p>\n

But \u2013 we could easily be sitting here talking about a 10th defeat in 13 Premier League games for Howe\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

This match could have swung either way, with the Seagulls the better team in the opening exchanges before a Bert Verbruggen (\u00a34.5m) error gave Newcastle an unmerited lead.<\/p>\n

Jack Hinshelwood (\u00a35.1m), in his own words, \u201ccould have had a hat-trick today\u201d. A huge early chance for the midfielder was saved by Nick Pope (\u00a35.0m), who later cannoned a clearance off Hinshelwood and onto the post. Carlos Baleba (\u00a34.5m) also hit the woodwork, Charalampos Kostoulas (\u00a34.8m) drew another smart stop out of Pope with a bicycle kick, while Yankuba Minteh (\u00a35.5m) missed a back-post sitter to level the game at 2-2. Shortly after, Newcastle scored a breakaway third through substitute Harvey Barnes (\u00a36.1m).<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we were the better team, we created a lot of chances, we dominated the ball.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to take the positive things, we have to analyse it, we have to understand what we have to do better \u2013 especially regarding defensive transitions. But overall, we have to stay positive.\u201d \u2013 Fabian Hurzeler<\/p>\n

No reason to fret if you own Brighton players, then, with some rare individual errors from Verbruggen and Jan Paul van Hecke (\u00a34.6m) accounting for two of the goals conceded. A combination of bad luck, profligate finishing and Pope saves denied them at the other end.<\/p>\n

Brighton\u2019s goal was a thing of beauty, indeed, with some lovely interplay from Pascal Gross (\u00a35.5m), Danny Welbeck (\u00a36.3m) and the dangerous Hinshelwood, ending with the latter\u2019s finish.<\/p>\n

\"Osula\"<\/p>\n

Above: Jack Hinshelwood again picked up some advanced positions<\/p>\n

Remember: it\u2019s Wolverhampton Wanderers at home next\u2026<\/p>\n

WIEFFER INJURY<\/p>\n

Brighton lost Mats Wieffer (\u00a34.8m) to an injury in the first half.<\/p>\n

The Dutchman\u2019s ankle has been giving him bother lately, and forced him off against Chelsea last time out. The problem reared its head again on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it\u2019s his ankle. We have to see. It doesn\u2019t look great but I can\u2019t say anything because we have to wait for the scan.\u201d \u2013 Fabian Hurzeler on Mats Wieffer<\/p>\n

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