Newcastle United picked up their third clean sheet in six Premier League games with a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday and had Fabian Schar to thank. The 30-year-old returned to the starting lineup after being rested in the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool and was a rock alongside Sven Botman.
No Newcastle player blocked more shots, made more clearances or had more interceptions. Only one player had more tackles than Schar too, so the Swiss international was deserving of the plaudits.
Lee Ryder of Chronicle Live gave Schar a player rating of 7/10 and said he delivered a ‘pretty good’ display despite missing a good opportunity to win Newcastle the game late on. Dominic Scurr of Shields Gazette gave the 30-year-old a player rating of 8/10 and said he won ‘important’ battles in defence.
Against Palace, Schar played for 90 minutes, had 71 touches, won five aerial duels, completed 74.5% of his 51 passes, had three shots, blocked three shots, made two tackles, had three interceptions and made four clearances.
The Swiss international has made five Premier League appearances this season, scoring one goal. He’s helped Newcastle shut out three sides from those five games and is proving his worth when many expected his place to be in jeopardy when Botman arrived.
In other news, Kieran Trippier impressed against Crystal Palace
