Lewis Hall has found a new dream partner at Newcastle United in Harvey Barnes, even as his England connection with Anthony Gordon continues to flourish. The pair impressed together for the Three Lions in their 2-0 win over Czechia on Tuesday, but at club level, Hall has forged a formidable new alliance with Barnes.
Hall and Barnes partnership blossoms
Hall and Barnes are no strangers to each other, having both joined the Magpies in the summer of 2023. However, this season marks the first time they have consistently played together, with Barnes stepping out of Gordon's shadow to make the left-wing slot his own after Gordon joined Barcelona over the summer.
Hall has been one of Newcastle's top performers under new head coach Matthias Jaissle, and his new contract signed last month rewarded a player who attracted interest from Manchester United. In Newcastle's last match before the international break, Hall scored his team's second goal in a 2-1 win over Hull City, statistically his side's best performer both defensively and in attack.
Statistical dominance down the left
Against Hull, 19 of Hall's 20 passes into the final third were successful, and according to 'Opta Points' he was the best player on the pitch, scoring 8.78 out of 10. He led all players in touches (113), completed 63 passes (92.6 per cent accuracy), delivered six crosses, created two chances, and made seven recoveries.
Hall told Chronicle Live: "Obviously I've been there a few years with him, but it's been interchanging between him and Anthony [Gordon] when he was here. It's really nice to get a good run of games with him. I feel like me and him have a good relationship. We know what each other want to do. We know each other's strengths. I feel like when we play together on that side, I feel like we can create good chances, and I feel like we're doing that well at the minute."
As well as his goal against Hull, Hall has provided assists against Bournemouth and Millwall this term. Barnes also has three goals and two assists in all competitions, and it was the 28-year-old who took the game away from Hull last time out by creating both goals inside the opening seven minutes. In that game, Barnes created a team-high three chances, attempted four crosses, and completed nine passes in the final third across his 50 touches.
Consistency on the left side
In the Premier League, Jaissle has not deviated from the Hall and Barnes tandem on the left-hand side, while the right side has seen more upheaval due to injuries to Anthony Elanga, Amar Dedic, and Tino Livramento. Bazoumana Toure, signed for £43 million from Hoffenheim in the summer, is yet to make a Premier League start as a result.
Newcastle focused 43.9 per cent of their attacks down the left-hand side against Hull, as opposed to 32.9 per cent down the right flank and 32.2 per cent through the middle. Even earlier in the season, after Newcastle's 2-0 win at Tottenham, Jaissle was quick to point out he was just as impressed with the Hall and Barnes partnership that is now bearing fruit.
So if Hall and Gordon combine brilliantly against Croatia this evening, there will be few tears shed on Tyneside. In fact, should Barnes and Hall's success together continue, another England recall for Barnes cannot be out of the question in November's international fixtures.
