Lewis Hall didn’t make it off the bench during Newcastle United’s defeat to Arsenal.
The 21-year-old was one of five changes from the 2-1 defeat at home to AFC Bournemouth as Dan Burn returned to the starting XI at left-back.
Hall was hooked at half-time last weekend and didn’t even make it off the bench at the Emirates Stadium as Newcastle suffered a fourth straight Premier League defeat, and a fifth in all competitions.
Eddie Howe’s side have lost nine of their last 12 matches, leaving them somewhat nervously sitting eight points above the Premier League relegation zone with four games left to play.
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Eddie Howe explains why he benched Lewis Hall v Arsenal
Hall has arguably been one of Newcastle’s strongest performers this season and Howe’s decision to drop him certainly raised eyebrows among supporters.
Explaining his controversial decision, Howe said: “It's always a difficult decision because Lewis is an outstanding player and you never for any second doubt his qualities and what he can bring to the team.
“But I felt today for a number of reasons that Dan was the right pick in terms of height and physicality and dealing with Arsenal's threats.
“Dan's never let us down in that position. He plays it very differently to Lewis. But I thought that was the right call for this game.”
Eddie Howe reflects on Arsenal defeat
The game was decided by Eberechi Eze’s ninth-minute strike which came from the Magpies’ switching off from a short corner routine.
Howe felt it was an improved performance in Hall’s absence but didn’t lose sight of another defeat.
“I thought it was much better from us as a group of men,” Howe said. “I thought we stood up to the physical challenge of Arsenal.
“I thought we were much better off the ball, much better defensive performance. We looked more like ourselves in that respect. We defended our goal much better today.
“In recent weeks, that's been a definite weakness. Of course, we've conceded a goal and we've lost the game, which ultimately is what matters the most. But I think positive signs that hopefully we can rediscover our best defensive mentality, which we're going to need.
“And then the other side of that is I thought it was a better performance with the ball as well. With Bruno's return, we were more controlled in our build. I thought we were brave with the ball and it created chances to score as well.
“Performance-wise, I'm much more satisfied with that. But of course, it's another defeat and I can't lose sight of the fact that we've lost too many games.”
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