My Newcastle United Player Ratings vs Sunderland (A)

Player Ratings

Tim Krul (7) - Could see he made a difference to the defence as he seems to bring a lot more confidence to the team. Did fumble one shot but otherwise had a decent game even though he was not that busy.

Danny Simpson (8) - Defended really well and it was also his interception which led to our goal. Does not always get the praise he deserves but this was a solid performance at right back.

Mike Williamson (8.5) - Another who stood up to the challenge and dealt with everything that came his way.


Fabricio Coloccini (9) - Almost a flawless performance from our captain. Came back into the team after missing about a month and he picked up from where he left off. Calm at the back, strong in the challenge and read the game really well. For me, he has now become the best centre back to ever play for Newcastle United.

Davide Santon (7.5) - Had a fairly good game although he sometimes ran himself into trouble instead of passing and maintaining possession for the team especially as we were ten men for so long and had to value what ball we got.

Cheick Tiote (4) - Gets a low rating as he was sent off for a rather silly challenge. Whether it was a red card or not, it was unnecessary especially as we won the free kick and also because we had the lead. Needs to learn because he is a talented player who is building a reputation he does not need.

Yohan Cabaye (8.5) - Scored our goal with a tidy finish and also looked really up for it. Played some delightful balls forward for Demba Ba to run onto in the second half as well.

Jonas Gutierrez (7) - Did a lot of defensive work especially when we went down to ten men. Hardly gets into forward positions these days but does a lot for the team in terms of his work rate.

Hatem Ben Arfa (7.5) - Gave away some silly free kicks in good areas for them but otherwise worked hard for the team and did his fair share of defending and closing down the left flank of Sunderland. The sad part is that he individual brilliance was curbed when Tiote was sent off.

Demba Ba (8) - Worked really hard up front especially in the second half. Looks very sharp at the moment.

Shola Ameobi (7.5) - Caused Sunderland some problems before he had to be sacrificed late in the first half as we brought on a defensive minded player, in James Perch.

Substitutes
James Perch (8) - Did excellently when he came on. Put in some hard challenges and did what is now expected of him.

Steven Taylor (6) - Made two errors from what I can tell when he came on. Allowed O'Shea too much room which led to the own goal, as O'Shea won the first header most notably.

Gabriel Obertan (6) - Can't say he did much in the short space of time he was on for.

Newcastle United Man of the Match - Fabricio Coloccini

My Newcastle United Player Ratings vs Everton (Away)

Player Ratings

Steve Harper (7.5) - Did reasonably well deputising for the injured Tim Krul. Made some good saves. Some critics may say he could have done better with their goals but in fairness both were struck with quite some force.

James Perch (8) - Had a difficult first half, where Baines and Pienaar were outstanding down his flank. Was moved to central midfield and did superb. Put in some solid challenges and got forward a lot too, threading through some neat passes.

Mike Williamson (8) -  I thought he was excellent. Won a lot in the air and made some vital interceptions. Hardly put a foot wrong even though we conceded two goals.

Steven Taylor (7) - Not his best game of the season so far but still did some good things. Should have done better with their second goal as he allowed Anichebe to turn and find space to shoot. He was also quite deep for that goal so should have pushed up.

Davide Santon (7.5) - Had another decent game. Has been fairly consistent this season and its no surprise Everton were far more dangerous from the opposite side.

Vurnon Anita (7)-  Can not say he looked comfortable in the first half. Just seems to be better when playing right back and that was evident with his second half showing in that position. Hopefully he'll start there against Norwich on Sunday.

Yohan Cabaye (7.5) - Had a below par first half but seemed to show signs of his old self with a good second half. Won the ball and then played a perfectly judged pass which led to our first goal. Hopefully this will kick start his season.

Jonas Gutierrez (7) - Had a quiet game from his high standards but that was mainly due to our defensive minded first half and the fact that he was playing out of position for almost the entire game. Still did a job for the team.

Sylvain Marveaux (5) - Given a rare start for this game and the plan seemed to backfire. Hardly involved and offered Perch very little support in front of him which is also why Pienaar and Baines were so good in the first half. Did take one very good free kick but I expected more from him to be honest.

Hatem Ben Arfa (7) -  Not as involved but was still a danger when in position. Missed a glorious opportunity late on but he contributed to us getting something from the game.

Papiss Cisse (6.5) - Worked very hard for the team and although he has not scored for us this season, that elusive goal does not seem far away.

Substitutes
Demba Ba (9) - Came on and instantly changed the game. Took his two goals really well and Everton seemed unable to handle him. Has to be our first choice striker on this showing.

Shola Ameobi (8) - Was not on for too long but did two really noticeable things. The first was play Ben Arfa through with a perfectly timed pass and the second was to chest the ball into the path of Ba who scored from that opportunity. Really good option to have on the bench.

Gael Bigirimana (N/A) - Don't think he touched the ball as we looked to clinch the draw.

Newcastle United Man of the Match - Demba Ba

Player Ratings vs Aston Villa (Home)

Tim Krul (7.5) - Made some good saves which kept us in it during the first half especially.

Danny Simpson (6) - Struggled a bit at times before he was replaced due to injury.

Steven Taylor (6.5) - Had a busy afternoon and made one or two mistakes, where he was turned too easily on one occasion and where he allowed Clark a free header for their goal but overall a decent enough showing.

Fabricio Coloccini (7.5) -  Looked solid, especially in the second half. Very cool and calm.

Davide Santon (8) - Hardly put a foot wrong. Did virtually all his defensive duties and went forward very nicely. The only fault in his game was his crossing but everything else was good.

Vurnon Anita (7) - Looked much better at right back than he did in midfield. Defended well and just looked more at home in the full back position.

Yohan Cabaye (6) - Took a great free kick towards the end which deserved a goal but otherwise his performance some would say, for the third game running, was below par. Not sure what the reason is but he does look below his best right now.

Jonas Gutierrez (7) - Had a better second half, as he saw more of the ball but he too hardly got crosses into the box today.

Hatem Ben Arfa (8.5) - Scored a stunning goal, which just sums up how good Ben Arfa is. A sweet strike from way out on his weaker foot. Looked dangerous although he did not see enough of the ball.

Demba Ba (6.5) - Worked hard but is not getting enough service to show his real quality.

Papiss Cisse (6) - Looked more hungry today but was unable to take any of the few chances he got in front of goal. Guzan was also in inspired form in goal for Villa.

Substitutes
Gael Bigirimana (8.5) - Came on in the first half and really impressed, especially if you consider he is only 18 year sold and playing his first game in the premier league. Passed the ball nicely, tackled well and made some important blocks. Looks a real talent.

Sylvain Marveaux (7) - Did a few good things but deserves more time on the pitch.

Gabriel Obertan (6.5) Linked up nicely with Ben Arfa late on in a good move but he too got very little time to really influence proceedings.

Newcastle United Man of the Match - Hatem Ben Arfa   

My Newcasle United Player Ratings vs Chelsea (Away)

Player Ratings

Tim Krul (7) - Did very little wrong and unfortunately could do nothing about both their goals. Dived the right way for the penalty though.

Danny Simpson (6) - Defended reasonably well but was poor going forward. So far he has attempted 8 crosses and only 1 of them have found a teammate. Was therefore substituted in the second half.

Steven Taylor (7) - Looked fairly solid at the back although Chelsea seemed to drop down a few gears in the second half.

Fabricio Coloccini (7) - Had a busy first half, marking Torres but considering this was his first start of the season he did fairly well.

Davide Santon (6.5) - Decent enough game from him although he hardly had the chance to go forward in the first half. Did better in the second half.

Vurnon Anita (6) - Struggled at times in the game and gave away the penalty at a point where we were doing fairly well. Will learn from it I'm sure and he did do some good things as well. I remember him winning a few tackles.

Yohann Cabaye (6.5) - Had a better game than he did last week, however his set pieces were poor. It was the one area we could have had an advantage over Chelsea but that unfortunately did not happen.

Jonas Gutierrez (6.5) - Worked hard but did not influence the game as much as we know he could.

Hatem Ben Arfa (7.5) - Was our most dangerous player and showed many glimpses of his class. We needed him to see more of the ball in the final third if we wanted to get something out of the game which hardly happened.


Demba Ba (6.5) - Was more involved than Papiss Cisse but only really had two chances in the whole match. He should have scored with the chance towards the end but Cech seemed to guess right when a goal looked certain.

Papiss Cisse (6) - Has had a poor start to the season but then again he has hardly had chances in front of goal. He generally is not involved in build up play that much so if he is not given chances he is very ineffective on the field. Should probably have been substituted but we did not have a striker on the bench!

Substitutes
Ryan Taylor (7) - Did not do too badly when he came on. Set up Ba with a nice header at the back post and also made one notable clearance in the box.

Sylvain Marveaux (6) -  Had one or two nice touches but did not see much of the ball in the 15 minutes he was on for.

James Perch (7) - Did well when he came on.

Newcastle United Man of the Match - Hatem Ben Arfa

My Newcastle United Player Ratings vs Tottenham (Home)

Player Ratings

Tim Krul (7) - A solid performance from Krul in goal, apart from may be one bad touch which almost allowed Defoe to win the ball. Punched some crosses nicely and came out to collect the ball too on a few occasions.

Danny Simpson (6.5) - A mixed game for Simpson today. Did some good things, such as provide the cross which led to Ba's opener and made a superb last ditch tackle when Lennon was on the brink of shooting when in some space. Also mixed that good with some not so good moments, like when he fouled Bale a few times and looked in danger of potentially being sent off.

Steven Taylor (8) - For someone in his first competitive game back after a long lay off I thought he was excellent. Won numerous headers, was calm in possession, and showed why he was missed when injured.

James Perch (8) - Just like his central partner, he was excellent. Strong in the tackle and looked very assured at the back.

Davide Santon (8) - Always willing to bomb forward, he seemed to lift the crowd, during some of his bursts forward. Also did his defensive duties and was only once beaten by Lennon if my memory serves me correct.

Cheick Tiote (7.5) - A typical Tiote performance today. Always in the thick of things and won several challengers. Was so glad he never went off injured after the initial scare early on.

Yohan Cabaye (6) - Below par performance from Yohan. Worked hard though but gave the ball away several times and just looked off his best today.

Jonas Gutierrez (7) - A solid captains performance from him. Worked exceptionally hard, played in a different position each half but won his fair share of freekicks and fought for the cause superbly.

Hatem Ben Arfa (8.5) - Showedmany glimpses of his best today. Looked up for it and although he wasn't heavily invlved in the first half, when he was he looked our most dangerous player. That theme continued for the rest of the game and it was evident when he won us the penalty and then insisted on taking it, to give us the vital three points.

Demba Ba (7.5) - Another who was perhaps not heavily involved but worked really hard and got his reward with an expertly taken goal just when we needed some inspiration. Was better than his strike partner today.

Papiss Cisse (6) - Was involved far too little and never really got a chance in the game which will be something to work on in the next game.

Substitutes
Vurnon Anita (6.5) - Had a nervous start, giving the ball away close to his own penalty area but his passing was good and he ventured forward nicely towards the end, as we looked to counter attack.

Gabriel Obertan (6) - A mixed few minutes for him as he helped the team see out the game.

Newcastle United Man of the Match - Hatem Ben Arfa

My Newcastle United Player Ratings vs Chelsea (A)

Player Ratings

Tim Krul (7) - In truth never really had a lot to do.

James Perch (8) - Came in for Danny Simpson and did an outstanding job. Won some important headers and made some wonderful tackles too. Most notably the one challenge when Chelsea tried to break and he came across and won man and ball at the same time to end that potential counter attack.

Mike Williamson (7.5) - Started off looking poor and I remember thinking to myself, he might get exposed against a confident Chelsea but after about 15 minutes he settled and did very well.

Fabricio Coloccini (9) - Our best defender on the day but also lead the team well and his confidence seemed to rub off on his teammates. In this performance he showed why he was selected in the PFA team of the year. Such an elegant player who makes everything look easy.




Davide Santon (8.5) - Bar one mistake, where he gave the ball away in a dangerous area, it was another impressive display by the Italian left back who is fast becoming an important member of the team. Caused problems when he went forward but did his defensive duties as well.

Yohan Cabaye (7.5) - Worked hard without really being on the ball a lot. Formed a great partnership with Tiote and they should take a lot of credit for they did the "dirty work" so to speak.

Cheick Tiote (8.5) - Was outstanding in midfield particularly in the first half. Was the enforcer but also passed the ball well and allowed us to dictate things.

Jonas Gutierrez (7.5) - Another who did a lot for the team without really being directly involved in our attacks.

Hatem Ben Arfa (7) - Not one of his better games but he ran his socks off for the team and that allowed the likes of Ba and Cisse to find space.

Papiss Cisse (9.5) - Scored two outrageous goals that will be played over and over again for years to come. Also worked hard for the team and formed a good partnership with Ba. Did not have many chances which makes his goals all the more special.

Demba Ba (8) - May not have scored but he troubled Chelsea and they could handle him for much of the time he was on the field. Have to admire the way he plays for the team i\even when in a goal drought.

Substitutes
Ryan Taylor (7) - Did not do too much when he came on but it was his long throw in which led to the amazing second goal. Helped us see out the game.

Shola Ameobi (7) - Another who did not do too much but yet he contributed to the win by chesting the ball to Cisse for him to have a go at getting us the killer second goal.

Gabriel Obertan (6) - Gave the ball a few times in the minutes he was on for.

Newcastle United Man of the Match - Papiss Cisse

My Newcastle United Player Ratings vs Bolton (H)

Player Ratings

Tim Krul (7.5) - Did not have many saves to make but did well when called upon especially the save from Eagles shot.

Danny Simpson (7) - Another good defensive display from Simmo. Went forward more in the second half but kept Petrov quiet for much of the game.

Mike Williamson (7.5) - It is never easy marking Kevin Davies but Willo did great. Intercepted and put in some important challenges and has really played his role in us keeping three consecutive clean sheets.

Fabricio Coloccini (8) - Came back into the team after his injury but it looked like he never missed a game. Was sharp and very good defensively. Took the ball up field nicely a few times as well and also had a decent shot from outside the box which was well saved.

Davide Santon (8) - Another very good game from our young Italian. Kept bombing forward but also seemed to win his battle with Eagles. Seems to have lifted his game since he got recalled and has defended much better.

James Perch (6.5) - Had a relatively quiet game but did his job although we needed more penetration in the middle of the park and that is why he was substituted at half time.

Yohan Cabaye (7) - Was not on the ball enough in the first half and seemed to miss the presence of Guthrie and Tiote alongside him. Kept working hard for the team though and he can claim that it was his pass which led to one of the goals of the season.

Jonas Gutierrez (6.5) - Another who had a quiet game but still worked hard as he always does, even more so as he was played out of position again.

Hatem Ben Arfa (9) - Had a relatively quiet game but has earned this high rating simply for scoring a goal of pure class. He took the ball from inside his own half and ended up with it being in the back of the net through skill, pace, balance and composure. Was not on the ball a lot today but produced something special when it was most definitely needed.

Papiss Cisse (7.5) - Did not get much service but still found himself on the score sheet with the one chance he really had in the game. It may have been an easy goal but it still takes that at the right place at the right time instinct which he seems to have, to convert it.

Demba Ba (6) - A very disappointing performance from Ba. His touch was just not there today as he had a few chances but it got taken away from him after a poor touch. He seems to have lost some of his confidence and had to be substituted.

Substitutes
Shane Ferguson (7.5) - Changed the game with his energy and hard work in the second half. Came on to give us some spark and he did that. May not have created or scored a goal but still seemed to lift the crowd.

Shola Ameobi (7) - Set up the second goal with firstly some good strength and then secondly with a lovely cross which had goal written all over it. Really has done well coming on as a substitute in recent games.

Ryan Taylor (6.5) - Came on when the game was won but enjoyed some good moments in possession.

Newcastle United Man of the Match - Hatem Ben Arfa