Of course it finished 4-3. What else could it have been? It was a victory and a game of football for Kevin Keegan, whose cancer diagnosis was announced hours before this game.
It was a night of spellbinding drama at St James’ Park, in his honour.
It was 10.20pm when Harvey Barnes somehow squeezed in the winning goal, in the 12th minute of added time. St James’ Park erupted. What joy suddenly filled the old stadium.
It had been a 4-3 defeat at Anfield, back in 1996; the Premier League’s greatest game. Keegan slumped over advertising hoardings back then, when Stan Collymore pierced a Geordie title dream in injury time. Thirty years later, with the most important person in the modern history of Newcastle United now receiving treatment for cancer, came this. A seven-goal thriller that Newcastle won in the most dramatic of manners. What twists, what heartache and what magic football brings.
The big screen showed a message of support for Keegan before kick-off
STU FORSTER/GETTY
The spirit of Keegan — who rescued a club on its knees, both as player and manager — and his 1990s Entertainers flowed through both teams, the adopted Geordie from Yorkshire would have marvelled at a truly remarkable game.
It had everything — goals, penalties, controversy, VAR checks and in 12 minutes of second-half added time, both teams were still chasing victory. This time it went to Newcastle, Harvey Barnes somehow turning on a layoff from Sven Botman to poke a right-footed shot into the Leeds goal.
“That team he created was incredibly special,” Eddie Howe, the Newcastle head coach, said of Keegan. “It is still talked about, and rightly so. That was us trying to be that team. We want to entertain. We want the supporters on the edge of their seats. That was us at our thrilling best without playing at our best.”
On Keegan, Howe added: “The news before the game shook us all up. What Kevin did as a manager and a player here is truly iconic. We want to pay tribute to him and send him all our love. One of the first things I did when I got the job was to ring him to try to get an understanding of what the job here would be like. He was unbelievable with his time and his insight.”
And this was an unbelievable night. Keegan’s name echoed around the stadium throughout. “We’re all with you King Kev,” appeared on a huge TV screen. It felt like Keegan was with Newcastle at full-time, when disbelief was all around.
Aaronson, right, scored either side of a penalty from Calvert-Lewin, but it wasn’t enough for all three points in the North East
SCOTT HEPPELL/REUTERS
“It is heartbreaking but congratulations to both sides,” Daniel Farke, the Leeds head coach, said. “It was a fantastic piece of football and advertising for the Premier League. It was very attacking-minded and there were mistakes, otherwise there wouldn’t have been so many goals.”
That first major error came in the 32nd minute. Malick Thiaw gave the ball away with what looked like either an air kick or a slip and it was Dominic Calvert-Lewin who fed it through to Brenden Aaronson.
The American, jeered by Leeds fans earlier in the season, took a touch and rifled a right-footed shot past Nick Pope into the bottom corner of the Newcastle goal. It was no more than they deserved.
Four minutes later Newcastle fashioned a fine equaliser when a right-wing cross from Lewis Miley was not properly cleared by Struijk. Bruno Guimarães headed forward to Anthony Gordon, who looped the ball to Nick Woltemade. The German provided the deftest of touches to move it to his left, into the path of Barnes, and the winger crashed a left-footed shot past Lucas Perri.
In first-half added time Leeds went ahead again. Thiaw seemed to lose his balance in a challenge with Calvert-Lewin in the Newcastle penalty area and as he fell he struck the ball with his right arm. The German pleaded his innocence, VAR checked, the penalty stood and Calvert-Lewin calmly sent Pope the wrong way for his ninth League goal since his move from Everton.
A minute later Joelinton went tumbling under the most gentle of touches from James Justin in the Leeds penalty area. The Brazilian was booked for simulation. Right then his team-mates were holding Joelinton back. Nine minutes into the second half, they were climbing on his back, in celebration.
There were jubilant scenes on the Newcastle bench after the winning goal went in
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Guimarães bent a cross with the outside of his right foot that met his fellow countryman, who glanced a header into the far corner of the Leeds goal.
It became chaos after that.
Fabian Schär made a saving tackle, hit the woodwork and left the field on a stretcher. Pope came for and completely missed a left-wing cross in the 67th minute which Justin headed against the Newcastle crossbar.
Then came Aaronson again. A miscommunication between Yoane Wissa and Jacob Ramsey allowed Gruev to find the American, who scored with a right-footed shot off the far post. Still Newcastle refused to be beaten. Lewis Hall’s cross at the end of normal time struck Aaronson just inside the Leeds box and a penalty was upheld after a VAR check, which Guimarães calmly slotted in.
Newcastle would not be denied. In the 102nd minute came Barnes. Keegan will have loved it.
Newcastle (4-3-3): N Pope — L Miley, M Thiaw (S Botman 45min), F Schar (J Ramsey 76), L Hall — B Guimaraes, S Tonali (T Livramento 45), Joelinton — H Barnes, N Woltemade (Y Wissa 75), A Gordon (J Murphy 81).
Booked Thiaw, Joelinton, Gordon.
Leeds (5–4-1): L Perri — J Justin, J Bijol, P Struijk, J Rodon (S Bornauw 87), G Gudmundsson — A Stach (N Okafor 80, E Ampadu, I Gruev, B Aaronson (W Gnonto 90+7) — D Calvert-Lewin (L Nmecha 87).
Booked Calvert-Lewin.
Referee M Salisbury.