Sam Allardyce said his Sunderland players were “feeling the pressure” fuelled by their local rivals’ burgeoning revival after Andros Townsend’s stunning free-kick dragged Rafael Benítez’s Newcastle United side out of the relegation zone,
Although a point behind their north-east neighbours following Newcastle’s 1-0 defeat of Crystal Palace and their own 1-1 draw at Stoke City, Sunderland have a game in hand and, in theory, retain the box seat in the relegation battle. Norwich, beaten 1-0 at Arsenal, slumped into the bottom two for the first time this season.
Allardyce said: “We looked more nervous than we’ve ever done before. Maybe the lads are feeling the pressure a little bit. I was relieved to accept a point – it was one gained rather than two lost. Our performance wasn’t the best but we’re still fighting with three games to go. We have a game in hand on Newcastle, though, don’t we? Even if it puts more pressure on us.”
Penalties proved pivotal to Tyne-Wear fortunes with Newcastle’s Karl Darlow, the club’s third-choice goalkeeper, saving one from Yohan Cabaye at St James’ Park to preserve a potentially precious three points and Jermain Defoe scoring from the spot at Stoke to salvage a previously unlikely draw. While Sunderland have home games with Chelsea and Everton followed by a trip to Watford, Newcastle are down to their final two fixtures – a trip to Aston Villa before Tottenham visit St James’ Park on the season’s final afternoon.
“We cannot look too much at the table,” said Benítez. “We just have to keep going. We know that we have to approach the game against Aston Villa next Saturday like another cup final. We just have to be sure that we will be ready for the next game.”
Asked if he thought both Villa and Tottenham would need to be beaten in order to secure Premier League football at St James’ Park next season, he stuck to his one game at a time mantra. “No,” said Benítez. “We have to win one game – the next one – and after, we will think about the other one. That’s the only way.”
Townsend’s exquisite free-kick, his third goal in five games, extended Newcastle’s unbeaten run to four games, ensuring Pardew’s first return to Tyneside as Palace’s manager was an unhappy one. “Andros did really well,” said Benítez. “It was a fantastic free-kick; we’ve been practising different ones but not that one. And when a goalkeeper saves a penalty he is a hero so I am really pleased for Karl. Hopefully he won’t have to save any more penalties.”
Pardew chose not to speak to the press after conducting his post-match broadcast interviews. However, Palace’s manager was in combative mood when asked by radio journalists about Allardyce’s provocative pre-match suggestion that his players would have been “on the pop” all week after reaching the FA Cup final. “He hasn’t got a case – just send him the video,” he said. “They’re prehistoric comments. I don’t know what era he’s in. Three or four of my players don’t drink. Perhaps he meant Coca-Cola. It’s nonsense.”
