Newcastle 4 Leeds 3 and match ratings and comments on all Newcastle United players

We asked Davey Hat-Trick to give us his match ratings and player comments after Newcastle 4 Leeds 3.

Wow. That is the sort of victory that warms the old bones on a freezing cold night.

Had we lost or drawn – and both of those outcomes looked possible at 90 minutes – I’d have been seething.

The referee gave Leeds the most preposterous penalty I have seen in a long time. And of course, his decision was ratified by whichever myopic halfwit was manning the VAR screens.

So to get an equaliser and a winner in added time was, in my opinion, thoroughly deserved and some sort of vindication. I remember how utterly dejected I felt after last-minute winners for Liverpool and Arsenal at SJP this season. Last night I was elated in equal measure. It reminded me of the 4-4 versus Arsenal – everyone, myself included, went berserk when number four went in.

I like to think Kevin Keegan would have been watching this somewhere; it would have taken him back 30 years.

The performance was, at times, chaotic and low on skill. Passes were misplaced, possession was conceded, nerves were shredded, and our opponents were allowed to penetrate our defence at will.

But it was also a performance of passion, belief, desire and heart, and that will do more for team morale than recent wins against Burnley and Palace. The players will feel like heroes after that and rightly so. I imagine a few of them will get Saturday off. They deserve it.

As for marking the players, I don’t really know. I’m not sure it matters on a night like this. Every one of them was a hero, even if some of them weren’t at their best.

Nick Pope 6

Conceded three and I’m not sure he was at his best for the third. He had one of his periodic rushes of blood to the head, which could have led to another Leeds goal, but luckily, they only hit the bar.

Lewis Miley 9

This lad is a baller. Started at right back, then went into midfield, and ended up at centre half.

Fitted in seamlessly in every case and never looked flustered or nervous.

Showed exceptional levels of desire and fitness to set up our second goal. A superb all-round performance. Right now, the sky is the limit for this kid

Malick Thiaw 4

Not his night. Picked up a daft yellow card after five minutes and was correctly subbed off at half-time as a result.

Conceded weakly to allow Leeds to score their first, then ‘gave away a penalty’, although I will never understand how. A terrible decision by the ref and a shameful abdication of responsibility by the clowns on VAR.

But overall, it was a poor performance by one of our players of the season

Fabian Schar 8

I thought he had a great game – concentrated hard, was positionally astute, and made a couple of vital interventions.

He had the ball in the Leeds net but the goal was disallowed because he brushed against their keeper with all the force of a feather. He even managed to hit the post before what looked like a serious leg injury saw him stretchered off.

If there’s a decent centre back available to buy in January, we ought to buy him. Fab will be a big miss

Lewis Hall 7

I thought he looked a little shaky against Palace. This was an improvement.

Got up and down the pitch well, swung some dangerous balls into the box, and kept his head when others were losing theirs

Sandro Tonali 6

Sandro is not at his imperious best, and seemed low on energy last night. Not a terrible display, but patchy. Subbed off at half time, but at that stage, there were a few candidates for an early bath

Bruno Guimaraes 8

I was a little surprised to see Bruno in from the start – he has to get a rest sometime, given his recent heroics. And his first half performance bore my thinking out. When he wasn’t underhitting passes he was overhitting them and he looked tired.

But what a transformation in the second half. He summoned up reserves of energy and desire that gave his teammates – and the crowd – renewed belief.

And he made a couple of crucial interventions: a delicious flick to get an assist for our second, and a penalty – under severe pressure – for our third.

It’s an overused expression but Bruno will go down as a Newcastle United legend. For now though, give the lad a week off, Eddie.

Joelinton 8

There were people calling for Joe to be shipped out a few weeks back but his recent performances have rendered that talk redundant.

He played with energy, purpose, and a good degree of skill in this game. The pick of a poor midfield in the first half and a gorgeous goal in the second.

Got a yellow for a silly dive and just about kept his temper under control when I thought he was going to blow.

Harvey Barnes 10

Deserved his start after the impact he made as a sub at the weekend but I am never entirely happy when he starts on the right. He isn’t either.

But I thought he was our best player last night. More energy than many, his head never went down, and he was always trying to make things happen.

Two goals, including a 102nd-minute winner that will live long in everyone’s memory. Life doesn’t get much better.

Nick Woltemade 7

Nice to have two good strikers fit at the same time.

Nick played OK, showed his customary tricky footwork, and got a slick assist for our first goal. Did OK

Anthony Gordon 6

Played OK, tried to make things happen, but didn’t offer the spark we needed too often.

I don’t like his body language sometimes when things are going against us but there was none of that nonsense last night.

SUBS

Sven Botman 7

Took him a while to find his feet after his introduction at half time and played an extremely risky ball back to Pope. However, after that he looked good.

Quick, strong and confident. Even got an assist for our winner.

Given the injury to Schär, it’s doubly good to have him back.

Tino Livramento 7

Another player it’s good to have back. Came on at half time and looked like he’d never been away.

Worked well with Barnes – and then Murphy – down the right-hand side, and was instrumental in keeping Leeds under pressure.

Jacob Ramsey 6

OK, I thought. An unfortunate slip which allowed Leeds in for their third, but otherwise, safe and assured without being spectacular.

Yoane Wissa 6

Lively – Leeds stopped thinking about attacking after his introduction.

On another night, he would have got on the end of a couple of crosses, but fine margins and all that.

I always felt that his introduction to the team could turn a mediocre season into a promising one, and so far, that appears to be the case.

Jacob Murphy 6

The right sub at the right time.

Added energy and fizzed a few balls into the box to keep Leeds on the back foot.

Newcastle 4 Leeds 3 –  Wednesday 7 January 2026 8.15pm

Match Stats

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Barnes 36, 90+12, Joelinton 54, Bruno 90+1

Leeds United:

Aaronson 32, 79, Calvert Lewin 45+5 pen

Possession was Newcastle 63% Leeds 37%

Total shots were Newcastle 18 Leeds 14

Shots on target were Newcastle 8 Leeds 6

Corners were Newcastle 8 Leeds 4

Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 37 Leeds 26

Newcastle team v Leeds:

Pope, Miley, Thiaw (Botman 46), Schar (Ramsey 76), Hall, Tonali (Livramento 46), Joelinton, Bruno, Barnes, Gordon (Jacob Murphy 81), Woltemade (Wissa 75)

Unused subs:

Ramsdale, Trippier, Willock, Alex Murphy