Three Points: West Brom vs. Newcastle

WEST BROMWICH, England — Ayoze Perez and Fabricio Coloccini scored as Newcastle keep winning, defeating West Brom 2-0 at the Hawthorns. Here are three quick thoughts from their Premier League clash…

1. Five-star Newcastle are flying

There was a time when it seemed that Alan Pardew’s best chance of a victory would be in the sack race. Not any longer. Newcastle have reeled off five successive victories. The Magpies are flying. Indeed, they are soaring up the league table.

The current standings show Newcastle, deemed the division’s crisis club not long ago, are level of points with Manchester United and above Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool. It amounts to a remarkable renaissance, and not just because three of those wins have come on the road. Newcastle had only picked up two points from nine away league games. Now they have won three in a row in all competitions; Tottenham, Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion are a fine trio of scalps, too.

Nor should there be any doubt that Newcastle deserved this. Albion had a bright spell in the first half but United were the dominant team and once they went ahead, their lead was rarely threatened. Managers are invariably blamed when their teams lose, but Pardew deserves plenty of credit for Newcastle’s resurgence. His recalibrated team now have a solid trio of central midfielders. They are quick to counter-attack and, crucially, they’re converting their chances. In contrasting fashions, Ayoze Perez and Fabricio Coloccini were clinical.

But it was a frustrating afternoon for West Brom. Last week’s win at Leicester gave them breathing space and Alan Irvine, like his Newcastle counterpart, has won over some of his critics after a slow start to the season. With Chelsea and Arsenal their next two opponents, however, Albion could yet be dragged towards the relegation zone.

2. The kids are alright

It wasn’t too long ago that Newcastle had a reputation as the Premier League’s cleverest buyers and Perez cost just 1.5 million pounds. The temptation is to say that in addition to relieving the pressure on Pardew, he has repaid that fee already, looking like the value-for-money signing of the season. The Spaniard has scored against Tottenham, Liverpool and now Albion in successive games. His latest strike was a goal taken with wonderful assurance, a cute little back-heeled flick from Daryl Janmaat’s low centre. It highlighted the confidence running through this Newcastle team.

A remarkable goal by Ayoze Perez shows the confidence running through Newcastle at the moment.

Perez makes for a suitable star of the United revival. He was one of five players aged 23 or under to start and while teams in troubled times often revert to experienced players, Newcastle have prospered by doing the opposite. Sammy Ameobi, another of the young and quick players Pardew has promoted, had already clipped the bar with an audacious effort.

Paul Dummett, who has been terrific recently, moved into the centre of defence to replace Steven Taylor, allowing another of the younger brigade, Massadio Haidara, to come in at left-back. In midfield, Mehdi Abeid built on his fine display against Liverpool.

Time will tell if the future really does prove to be bright on Tyneside — as long as Mike Ashley remains owner, plenty are entitled to be sceptical about that — but at least Pardew has players whose best years should be ahead of them.

And because of the newcomers, there is real pace and power to the new-look Newcastle. Moussa Sissoko has come to epitomise them in recent weeks, charging forward like a more purposeful Yaya Toure. Meanwhile Coloccini, the senior citizen in the side who looked a decidedly fallible figure in the opening weeks of the season, is playing with more assurance and capped a commanding display by heading in the second goal.

3. Berahino can’t keep up

There was a time when the leading English goalscorer in the Premier League was also its top marksman. Not any longer. In the division’s first eight seasons, locals had at least a share of the Golden Boot. In the subsequent 14 campaigns, imports have won every time.

Given the form of Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa, that sequence will surely be extended. The English charge, such as it is, is being led by Saido Berahino, whose fine form has earned him a place in Roy Hodgson’s national squad.

Yet the young striker couldn’t mark his call-up in style. As Albion struggled, Berahino was short of service. There was a moment when his sharpness was apparent. Strike partner Victor Anichebe’s pass was far from perfect but Berahino’s response was that of a natural goalscorer. Stretching as he shot, a rising, first-time effort almost caught Tim Krul unawares. Rather unconvincingly, the Newcastle goalkeeper pushed the ball on to the roof of the net. That, however, was as close as Albion came.

Nevertheless, it was a minor landmark for Berahino as he brought up 50 appearances for Albion. He has scored 17 goals in that time, which is a very respectable return, especially considering some were as a substitute and others on the flanks, but a greater goalscorer is commemorated outside the Hawthorns. A statue of Tony “Bomber” Brown was unveiled on Friday, celebrating the man who scored 279 goals for Albion. Berahino only needs another 262 to draw level with him, although the chances that he will be plucked from West Brom by a bigger club long before that becomes a possibility.