Newcastle United are through to the fourth-round of the Carabao Cup after beating Crystal Palace on penalties, courtesy of a goalless draw in normal time.
They have “Qatar-bound” Nick Pope to thank for his goalkeeping exploits, after the 30-year-old stepped up to save three penalties in the shootout in what made for a goalkeeping masterclass, aptly timed ahead of the fast-approaching World Cup.
Whether or not Pope’s form throughout the season will see him usurp Pickford and Ramsdale remains to be seen, but you cannot argue with his effort level in showing the England boss exactly what he can do.
Pope’s efforts in sending Newcastle through to the fourth-round of the League Cup saw him garner praise from The Athletic’s Chris Waugh, who said this on his Newcastle United discussion forum: “Well, that wasn’t the best penalty shootout I’ve ever seen, which is sort of fitting, because the game itself was terrible. Nick Pope is the hero, though, making three saves during the shootout and Newcastle are into the League Cup fourth-round draw. Somehow. Barely. But they are.”
He went onto say: “Although Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier and Joelinton scored their penalties, Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes saw their respective spot-kicks saved and then woefully fluffed over the bar, but thankfully Pope, who is Qatar-bound with England, produced a string of stops to thwart Palace.
“The League Cup dream remains alive. Even if only just.”
And that it does, all thanks to Pope’s wondrous efforts that rightly earned him the man of the match award.
With his saves proving integral, it’s worth noting that the 30-year-old barely out a foot wrong all game, asserting himself as the most accurate passer on the pitch, with his 21 attempts all finding their targets.
For comparison, opposition goalkeeper and occasional England teammate Sam Johnstone mustered up a measly pass accuracy percentage of 41%, with just 13 of his attempted 32 passes reaching their waypoints.
Overall, Pope has single-handedly carried the Toon into the fourth-round of the Carabao Cup, with his efforts surely not unnoticed by Southgate
