Over the last 28 years or so Newcastle United have enjoyed some incredible highs in the Premier League, but also suffered through some devastating lows. Throughout all of it, there’s been plenty of fantastic players, moments and especially goals. These are my five favourite Newcastle goals from the Premier League era…
Philippe Albert – Newcastle 5-0 Man Utd (1996)
The 5-0 drubbing of Manchester United back in 1996 is on every Newcastle fans list of greatest games from the Premier League games. I guarantee that every single one of them, when asked what their standout moment from the game is, will tell you it’s the moment Philippe Albert lobbed Peter Schmeichel from 20 yards out.
Coming in from the right, Albert looked up, saw Schmeichel miles off his line for some reason and had not only the confidence, but the sheer skill and guile to lift it calmly over his head. Perfect.
Hatem Ben Arfa – Newcastle 2-0 Bolton (2012)
This is on the list not only because it’s a goal Lionel Messi would have on his highlight reel, but because I was actually in the ground when it happened. Hatem Ben Arfa picked the ball up in his own half, took it maginificently and drove into the Bolton half, beat two more defenders and poked it by the keeper.
It was the first goal in a game wherein Newcastle had struggled in attack. We’d been craving that moment of magic from somebody all game long, and Hatem Ben Arfa was the man to step up and provide it. Incredible goal.
Papiss Cisse – Chelsea 0-2 Newcastle (2012)
This one is just a joke. Papiss Cisse’s first season at Newcastle was just incredible. He came in from Freiburg in January 2012 for £9m, a decent amount of money for a team like Newcastle at that point. In his first term, he scored 13 goals in 14 games, and some of them were OUTRAGEOUS.
At Stamford Bridge, United were chasing fourth position and needed a win to keep that dream alive. Cisse opened the scoring with a wonder goal on the volley, but his second was a JOKE. From a throw in on the left, Shola Ameobi laid the ball off for him and he whipped a physics-defying effort over the head of Petr Cech. Ludicrous goal.
Cheick Tiote – Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal (2011)
This one is self-explanatory. It’s not just the quality of the goal, which was sublime, but the moment and the circumstances too. As well as that, the death of Cheick Tiote makes it that little big more poignant too.
Late on in the game, with United having wrestled the scores back to 4-3 having been 4-0 down after 26 minutes, Newcastle won a free-kick wide right. Joey Barton whipped it into the box, Arsenal managed to scramble it clear but only as far as Tiote who unleashed a ripsnorter into the bottom corner. My favourite ever goal.
Alan Shearer – Newcastle 2-1 Everton (2002)
This goal is, for me, the greatest goal ever scored for Newcastle by the one and only Alan Shearer. He is our record goalscorer and without a doubt that greatest player to represent this fine club in the Premier League era – or maybe even ever. There was no way I wasn’t including at least one of his goals.
The volley against Everton stands out for most people as his greatest goal in black and white. With the scores at 1-1 going into the dying embers, the ball came to him at the edge of the area and he let fly the most venomous volley the Premier League has ever seen into the top corner to win the game for United. Superb.
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