COMMENT

Newcastle United put in one of their performances of the season as they pulled off an impressive 3-0 win over Southampton at St James' Park on Saturday

The Magpies, who began the day just one point and one place above the Saints, made a blistering start to proceedings on Tyneside, with winger Kenedy chesting a lofted ball down and hitting a volley into the goal with just one minute on the clock.

With the clash a potentially huge decider in terms of the relegation battle, with both teams threatened by the drop zone, fans may have expected a cagey encounter, but it was Rafael Benitez's men who were on the front foot once again, Kenedy netting once against after a lightning fast counter attack.

Despite two substitutions at the half time break, the second 45 minutes continued in the same manner of the first, Matt Ritchie getting in on the goalscoring action with a drilled shot from outside the box, while goalkeeper Martin Dubravka had little to do at the other end of the pitch.

So who shone for the Magpies on Tyneside and did anyone let the Toon Army down?

Here, Football Insider rates each of the Magpies' stars out of 10, including one man who was a cut above everyone on the St James' Park pitch.

Click below to reveal the first of our Newcastle United ratings...

Goalkeeper and defenders

Martin Dubravka - 7: Returning to St James' Park for his first appearance since the impressive 1-0 win over Manchester United, the Slovakian shot stopper had much less to do than against the Red Devils. He pulled off a couple of smart saves and was a commanding presence, although he nearly gifted the Saints a goal with a howler of a throw.

DeAndre Yedlin - 7: Kept the Southampton attack quiet for much of the game and was allowed time and space to venture forward, using his pace to threaten the away side's back line. Certainly not the toughest game he will feature in, but showed his abilities off well.

Jamaal Lascelles - 7: The former Nottingham Forest man impressed with every display, and Saturday's outing was no different. His leadership was key into keeping the defence tight and limiting the visitors' opportunities, while he was a powerful presence in defending high balls and set plays.

Florian Lejeune- 8: The Frenchman has began to build a strong partnership with Lascelles and this was one of his most impressive outings to date. Read the play well, was dominant in the air and also passed very well. Saved Dubravka from embarrassment with some quick thinking.

Paul Dummett - 8: While Dummett may be known as Newcastle's Mr Reliable, his consistency gets the job done and should not be overlooked. Put in a number of crunching tackles and was constantly breaking up play. Transformed under Rafa Benitez.

Click below to reveal the ratings of the Newcastle United midfielders...

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Midfielders

Jonjo Shelvey - 9: Back in the starting XI as a shock following his injury layoff, the 26-year-old returned to run the show. His passing was sublime and the opportunities he created were typical of his ability. After going the season without picking up an assist, he now has two to his name. Man of the match.

Mohamed Diame - 8: A powerhouse display from the experienced midfielder, he works so well in tandem with Shelvey, their attributes complementing each other nicely. Was a constant thorn in the Saints' midfield.

Matt Ritchie - 8: Cut Matt Ritchie open and he might not bleed black and white, but you would not be surprised if he did. His work ethic is something else and he is always desperate to have an impact. Stood with his arms aloft, begging for the ball for at least five seconds before receiving it from Shelvey, proceeding to dispatch it into the back of the net with a inch-perfect strike.

Kenedy - 9: If the Brazilian winger impressed before, this was his shining moment. His ability to convert Shelvey's lofted ball into a goal scoring opportunity a minute in was outstanding, while his run to create space for Dwight Gayle during a counter attack was well deserving of his, and Newcastle's second.

Click below to reveal the ratings for the Newcastle United forwards...

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Forwards

Ayoze Perez - 7: Perez has come under fire for lacking impact during games but while he was not shining as much as his team mates on Saturday, he was still impressive. Playing just off the striker saw him picking up the ball, feeding it around and acting like a proper playmaker. Still lacks the cutting edge but a minor mark on an otherwise good, and hardworking, display.

Dwight Gayle - 7: Leading the line ahead of the benched Joselu and the injured Islam Slimani, this was a strong performance considering he did not get on the score sheet. He was hassling and harrying the Southampton defence constantly and was aware enough to feed the ball to Kenedy, in acres of space, for the second goal, when he could have tried for a shot himself.

Click below to reveal how the Newcastle United substitutes got on...

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Substitutes

Joselu (69') - 6: Coming on to replace Gayle with 20 minutes to play, the Spaniard showed some good touches and was a focal presence up front to help keep the ball and see out victory

Christian Atsu (78') - 5: Little to note from the Ghanaian other than a couple of runs down the wing which did not end up as anything worthwhile.

Mikel Merino (83') - N/A: Given seven minutes as a replacement for Shelvey, he nearly got into trouble as he was dispossessed in the middle of the park leaving Southampton with an advantage going forward. Still, had less than 10 minutes so no mark to give.

In other Newcastle United news,

the Toon Army were left raving over one man in the impressive victory

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