Fabian Schär was the clear standout in Newcastle's win over Millwall, rated 8/10 and named man of the match on his first start after nine months with injury woe. Lewis Hall also played his part with the late assist for Joe Willock's winner, but the overall performance was functional rather than fluent.

Schär’s return at the back

The most striking part of the evening was simply getting Schär back into a starting role. His first appearance of 2026 was only his second body of work after a long lay-off, and Newcastle leaned on his authority at the back as much as they did on any sustained attacking rhythm.

The ratings desk was pretty clear on that point, calling him the match's man of the match and saying he “Steered Newcastle home in a much-needed start after nine months with injury woe.” That is a fair reflection of how the game felt, because the team as a whole did not find much flow for long spells.

Hall and Willock settle it late

Hall's contribution gave Newcastle the decisive moment they needed. The left-sided run and late delivery ended with Willock's finish, and it fitted a match in which individual quality did more work than collective control.

The first half told the same story. Newcastle were still goalless after 11 attempts before the interval, then had to wait until late before Hall picked out the winner. On the ratings sheet, Hall was described as having “Another bright display as he caused Millwall issues down the left-hand side in both halves and delivered an assist late in the game.”

Yoane Wissa had a rougher night. He was given 4/10, failed to register a shot on target and did not offer much in the centre of the pitch, while Jacob Murphy's crossing also tailed off badly, with just 1 accurate ball from 9 attempts.

That leaves Schär as the main positive Newcastle will take away from the tie. Hall's assist and Willock's finish decided it, but the return from injury and the defensive control were the bigger story for Newcastle on the night.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →