Joelinton ends goal drought as Newcastle overpower Sheffield United

Brazilian scores for first time since August in 3-0 win at home

NEWCASTLE UNITED RATINGS: Martin Dubravka - 7: Slovak barely broke sweat with Sheffield United managing one shot on target all game. Reuters

Javier Manquillo - 7: Tidy game from the Spanish full-back, no problems defensively and provided useful option going forward. Reuters

Jamaal Lascelles - 7: Newcastle captain looked solid on his team’s return to action. Reuters

Federico Fernandez - 7: Comfortable game for the Argentine and dominated the Blades attackers alongside his captain. Reuters

Danny Rose - 6: Sloppy distribution, particularly in the first half but improved after break. Reuters

Matt Ritchie - 8: Good shift from the wideman and a quality finish to make it 2-0. AFP

Isaac Hayden - 7: The usual solid and reliable performance from Newcastle’s defensive midfielder. AFP

Jonjo Shelvey - 7: Quality distribution from the midfielder who was a driving force to Newcastle’s victory. Reuters

Allan Saint-Maximin - 9: A handful from start to finish for the Blades, scored the crucial opener and was the best attacking player on the pitch. Reuters

Miguel Almiron - 7: Continues to frustrate in front of goal but supplied third goal on a plate for Joelinton. AFP

Joelinton - 7: Missed a sitter and was booked in the first half, but scored his first goal since August to make it 3-0. Reuters

SUBS: Andy Carroll (Joelinton 79): Big striker would be delighted to be back on the pitch after injury woes. Reuters

Nabil Bentaleb (Saint-Maximim 79): Match was over and the Blades a beaten side by the time midfielder was introduced. Reuters

Fabian Schar (Shelvey 85): No time to make an impact, Reuters

Valentino Lazaro (Almiron 85): No time to make an impact. Reuters

DeAndre Yedlin (Ritchie 90): Injury time substitute. Reuters

SHEFFIELD UNITED RATINGS: Dean Henderson - 6: Woefully exposed for all three goals but left a huge gap at near post for Ritchie’s finish. AFP

Chris Basham - 6: Carried the ball out of defence well at times but, like his teammates, was off the pace at the back. Reuters

John Egan - 3: Irishman deservedly sent-off for a second yellow card when the score was 0-0. Reuters

Callum Robinson - 6: Struggled against the pacy Newcastle attacks. Reuters

George Baldock - 5: Failed to close down Ritchie and gave the Newcastle midfielder free rein to make it 2-0. Reuters

Sander Berge - 6: Norwegian made little impact. AFP

Oliver Norwood - 5: Gave the ball away far too easily and a day to forget. Reuters

John Fleck - 6: Little influence as the game passed him by. AFP

Enda Stevens - 4: Embarrassing mistake for opening goal and also missed good chance to make it 2-1. Reuters

Oli McBurnie - 5: Frustrating day for the Scot who was given little service. AFP

Billy Sharp - 5: Will be furious at missing header in second half with goal at his mercy and the Blades just one goal down. Reuters

Subs: John Lundstram (Berge, 66) - 6: Tide was turning against team by the time he was introduced. Reuters

Luke Freeman 6 (Fleck, 73) - 5: Came on with team two down and the game over. AFP

Richairo Zivkovic 6 (Sharp, 73) - 5: Came on with team two down and the game over. Reuters

Kieron Freeman 6 (McBurnie, 85): Game well over by the time defender came on. Reuters

Record signing Joelinton scored his first Premier League goal since August as Newcastle United secured a convincing 3-0 win over 10-man Sheffield United on Sunday.

The Brazilian striker found the net from close range to round off a dominant display for Newcastle, who were playing their first game since the Premier League restart.

Sheffield United did not create many opportunities at St James' Park and were reduced to 10 men early in the second half when defender John Egan collected his second yellow card.

Egan, who was cautioned for clashing with Joelinton over an offside decision in the first half, brought down the Brazilian striker to receive his marching orders from referee David Coote.

Newcastle seized control of the contest in the 55th minute when midfielder Matt Ritchie's cross from the left wing found Allan Saint-Maximin, whose low shot found the net.

Ritchie doubled Newcastle's lead in the 69th minute with a swerving shot from the edge of the box, before Joelinton recorded only his second league goal of his debut campaign in the northeast.

"I see Joelinton in training and he's working really hard to score," Saint-Maximin said.

"You have to know that a striker sometimes has a difficult time but I hope he can keep going and score against Aston Villa."

The result means Chris Wilder's Sheffield United, who played out a goalless draw against Aston Villa in their first match back, remain seventh in the standings and four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

The Blades next face fifth-placed Manchester United on Wednesday and will need to produce a much-improved display to keep their European qualification hopes alive.

"I'm sick and tired of people talking about Europe and Champions League," Wilder said.

"It's about working in the present and the present is that we’ve put in two bang average performances this week.

"We have to play at our maximum to get anything, we have to go at it full tilt, but we are off the pace at the minute."

Meanwhile, Newcastle moved up to 12th spot with 38 points to surely put any remaining relegation fears to rest.