There was one combination that proved really effective in Newcastle's win against Tottenham
Aaron Ramsdale has earned rave reviews for his performance in Newcastle United's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur and rightly so.
The England international goalkeeper has had to remain patient for another chance between the posts given the form of Nick Pope so far this season but he used the Carabao Cup clash as an opportunity to showcase his talents.
Ramsdale made an outstanding save from Pape Mate Sarr's goalbound effort in the second half and was a commanding presence throughout the game on Wednesday evening.
But it was perhaps his distribution with his feet, a known weakness of Pope's, that stood out the most. In the first half, he played a precise pass into Sandro Tonali that started a dangerous attack and he looked very comfortable with the ball at his feet.
And that precision allowed Newcastle to explore a new tactic while Dan Burn continues to play as a left-back.
Burn was positioning himself way inside the Spurs half every time Ramsdale got the ball and and on three occasions, the Magpies goalkeeper sprayed a long diagonal pass into Burn's vicinity.
Each time, Burn used his six foot seven inch frame to win a header and flick the ball on to a dangerous area. It was direct but it was effective and while it didn't lead to a goal, it caused panic in the Spurs backline.
It was something Eddie Howe was quick to praise after the game, too, as he said: "I was really, really pleased with the big save he made in the second half. I thought that was an outstanding reflex save and showed his agility and his power. He distributed the ball really well, I think that's one of his big strengths."
Howe and his staff have worked meticulously on the training ground with Ramsdale, ensuring that when his chance did arrive to play in the team, he was used to working with the players.
Speaking in the matchday programme ahead of the Spurs win, Ramsdale said: "The great thing is with the manager, you get so many opportunities in training work with different pairs, duos of centre-backs and full-backs, I know in certain situations of a game if I'm given a chance or get thrown in due to something happening in a game, I know exactly what people are tending to do.
"They understand me too and I'm chomping at the bit, doing everything I can to get ahead of Nick and it is really healthy. I'm taking a small amount of pride in how Nick is playing."
While Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall remain out through injury, Burn will continue to deputise at left-back and it will be interesting to see if Pope is able to deploy the same tactic against West Ham.
Pope is an excellent goalkeeper but isn't as comfortable with the ball at his feet as Ramsdale is. Whether he could deliver the same service with the same level of accuracy remains to be seen but if it worked against Spurs, it should work against West Ham.
The Hammers have been dreadful at defending set pieces this season and Burn's aerial threat could be a key weapon at the London Stadium.
Pope will likely be recalled to the side for the trip to East London. Whether he can replicate Ramsdale's distribution towards Burn remains to be seen.