The English goalkeeper seems to be in the form of his life at the moment with the Magpies who are in third place in the Premier League table.
Following their triumph against Southampton, Newcastle defeated Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on penalties before defeating Chelsea 1-0 to end their World Cup campaign.
Since domestic football has returned, they have carried on where they left off, securing their spot in the top four and closing in on the Carabao Cup final after defeating Southampton 1-0 in the first leg of their semifinal on Tuesday.
It seems appropriate that Pope turned in one of his greatest efforts of the season on the field where he most recently gave up a goal.
Back in November, Southampton managed to get one back thanks to a small slip in defensive focus, but Pope wasn't going to leave the south coast empty-handed this time.
Newcastle dominated the game for the most part, but Southampton put pressure on for 15 minutes in the second half as they looked for the game's first goal. Pope didn't budge.
He stayed large and made the save with his outstretched foot as Che Adams sprinted for goal. James Ward-set Prowse's pieces made Nathan Jones's squad appear threatening, but Pope was there when it mattered most, diving low to make another stop and arriving to collect high balls to give his teammates a break. Midfielder Bruno Guimaraes was eager to praise the performance after the game. It was a truly commanding performance.
In recent away games against Arsenal and Palace, Newcastle displayed strong defense, allowing only one significant opportunity to their opponents. Pope has proven his worth in this situation by staying alert to stop Eddie Nketiah of Arsenal with a quick save to his left and then reaching up into the top corner to block Jean Philippe-hard Mateta's shot at Selhurst Park.
Pope is now on the cusp of history as a result of his incredible consistency over an extended period of time.
For Manchester United during the 2008–09 campaign, Edwin van der Sar had 12 straight shutouts in all competitions. Pope needs just two more games to get up to the legendary Dutchman.
Since Van Der Sar's record has held for 14 years, it seems impossible to ever top it, but Pope now has a real opportunity to do so.
In their following game, Newcastle will face Southampton once more in an effort to secure a spot in the Carabao Cup final.
Next up in the league is a home game against a struggling West Ham team, followed by a trip to 18th-placed Bournemouth the following week. Pope would surpass Van Der Sar and break his own record if he were to defeat these three opponents.
Newcastle entered the season with great expectations after making significant summer purchases, but they have already surpassed all of them and are in position to qualify for the Champions League.
Pope has more than contributed to their Cup run and is driving their push for a top-four finish.
Van Der Sar's record-breaking run enabled United to win their 11th Premier League championship under Sir Alex Ferguson and bring home the hardware.
No comments:
Post a Comment