Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar was hailed as the Toon’s ‘unsung hero’ after his superb display in the Premier League this weekend saw Eddie Howe’s side take a valuable point back to Tyneside.
The Magpies went into their clash at Old Trafford having not tasted defeat in four straight games, and extended that run further after securing a battling clean sheet on the road.
Manchester United were left frustrated by their opponents as they dropped points at home for the first time since the opening day – and Swiss centre-back Schar was evidently a big reason for that.
Shields Gazette journalist Dominic Scurr labelled Schar’s showing as ‘a warrior’s performance’, going on to say: “Picked up a knock early on but played on to make an important interception to stop a cross into the box on the stroke of half-time. Was in the wars at Old Trafford but kept plugging away and made a crucial slide to put Fred off scoring a late winner.”
Meanwhile, Newcastle World’s Jordan Cronin was of a similar opinion, handing the defender a team-high match rating of 9/10.
He wrote: “In the wars at Stretford End. Faced up to Ronaldo, who had very minimal chances. Then dealt with Rashford’s pace inside the final 20 minutes. An unsung hero today.”
TIF Thoughts on Fabian Schar’s performance for Newcastle United…
Going off these comments alone, it appears clear that Schar’s input was key to Newcastle taking a point from the game.
However, the centre-back’s stats also back up this notion. According to SofaScore, Schar excelled in a number of areas, with the defender recording the most clearances (7), blocked shots (2) and interceptions (3) in the Newcastle side.
Meanwhile, he also posted the joint-highest passing accuracy in the game with a 91% success rate – only matched by Man United’s Jadon Sancho.
It is also clear that this was far from a one-off performance, with SofaScore awarding the 30-year-old higher match ratings on two previous occasions this term, while he recorded his highest score since early September.
Hopefully, this also bodes well for the future as Newcastle’s fixtures begin to pile up with the visit of Everton and a trip to Tottenham Hotspur to come in the week ahead.
Was Fabian Schar your Player of the Match?
Yes!
No!
