Nick Pope: Newcastle goalkeeper extends incredible clean sheet record

1 year ago 51

Nick Pope prepares to marque a prevention against Southampton

Newcastle United's caller epoch of riches nether their Saudi Arabian owners has brought caller ambition and large spending - but the £10m handed implicit to Burnley for Nick Pope looks similar a snip.

Bigger wealth whitethorn person been spent elsewhere but fewer signings anyplace are giving amended worth for wealth than the 30-year-old England keeper and helium proved much than his worthy arsenic Newcastle moved person to the large trophy that has eluded them since 1969.

History weighs heavy connected Newcastle and their fanatical enactment and it has been joined by immense anticipation since Mike Ashley sold up. Now they volition beryllium steadfast favourites to scope the Carabao Cup last aft Joelinton's second-half extremity gave them a constrictive semi-final archetypal limb triumph astatine Southampton.

It has been a long, agonising hold since that Inter Cities' Fairs Cup win, but hopes are rising that the long, barren years whitethorn yet coming to an extremity judging by the Toon Army's chaotic scenes of solemnisation astatine the last whistle.

And astatine the bosom of it each was the magnificent Pope and a mean-spirited defence that refuses to yield, providing a rock-solid instauration for manager Eddie Howe's Newcastle rebuild.

Pope's shutout astatine Southampton, successful which helium made 2 important saves from substitute Che Adams with the lucifer scoreless, means helium present has a singular grounds of 10 successive cleanable sheets successful each competitions. According to Opta stats going backmost to August 2012, this makes him the archetypal goalkeeper with a Premier League broadside to execute specified a feat.

He has kept 16 cleanable sheets successful 24 games this season, a vastly superior ratio to anyone else, with Manchester United's David de Gea ranked 2nd with 12 from 27 games.

Pope gives disconnected an aerial of assurance and assurance down Newcastle's defence, and that is impacting connected opposing strikers, arsenic Adams was not precise capable to bushed the keeper's outstretched near ft with Southampton's champion accidental of the night.

And to adhd to his awesome database of statistics, Pope has not conceded a extremity since Newcastle United's past sojourn to St Mary's connected 6 November, which ended successful a 4-1 triumph for the visitors.

Newcastle team-mate Bruno Guimaraes was possibly getting giddy connected the heady scent of triumph erstwhile helium described Pope arsenic "the champion goalkeeper successful the world" successful his post-match interrogation but determination is nary uncertainty helium is having a magnificent season.

Pope was successful England's World Cup squad successful Qatar, wherever helium was regarded arsenic 3rd prime down Jordan Pickford and Aaron Ramsdale. Manager Gareth Southgate's determination to enactment connected volition support Pickford, deservedly, successful rod presumption but Pope is doing each successful his powers to marque his case.

When Howe was Bournemouth's manager, a disapproval aimed astatine him was that for each their attacking enterprise, helium could not enactment up their defence.

The aforesaid charges cannot beryllium made now; an outstanding defence is built astir his signings Pope, Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman and Dan Burn alongside those players helium inherited.

It has resulted successful what is perchance shaping up arsenic a imagination season, with a Wembley appearance, their archetypal successful a large last since the 1999 FA Cup, and their accomplishment successful the Premier League's precocious reaches, wherever they beryllium 3rd down leaders Arsenal and reigning champions Manchester City.

And if the goals person dried up successful caller weeks, Newcastle tin inactive number connected that defence, which is the apical flight's meanest with lone 11 goals conceded successful 20 matches, with 14 goals mislaid successful 26 games successful each competitions.

It is connected this level that Newcastle flourish and they volition beryllium assured of finishing the occupation against Southampton successful beforehand of what is definite to beryllium a fevered capableness assemblage connected Tyneside successful the 2nd leg.

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