1. Hatem Ben Arfa Must Play
After a very strong 2011/12, Newcastle fans already knew that Frenchman Hatem Ben Arfa could be key to the team's attacking strength, as well as offering the kind of magic that compatriots Laurent Robert and David Ginola did in their Toon heydays. Despite concerns this summer about his attitude, after altercations in the French squad, and the possibility of his leaving for a "bigger club", Ben Arfa looked on form yesterday, and that can only spell good things for Newcastle. He might not have been fully match-fit (as few of his team-mates appeared), but Ben Arfa still has magic in his boots, and the effortless ability to take opposition players on as if they aren't there. That skill, of making the first man you beat look invisible is an invaluable art, and the player was enjoying a lot of success in the middle of the park when he came inside, despite the rugged attentions of the opposition. That ability also lead to the penalty that made the score 2-1, Ben Arfa brushing aside two challenges with ease and falling under two simultaneous fouls before standing up, brushing off an equally forceful challenge from Demba Ba to take the resulting penalty and sending Brad Friedel the wrong way to send the Gallowgate into rapturous applause. Ben Arfa's value to the rest of the team also cannot be under-estimated: though he is considered an individual talent, he also pulls the core of the team higher up the pitch, and also drawing multiple opponents towards him to unlock space for his fellow midfielders and attackers. He is a far less frustrating player than he first was in black and white after his injury, and he is the sort of talent who will change a team from outside challengers to genuine European position contenders.