Newcastle United suffered their first defeat of the season as they lost 3-1 to Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
After winning each of their last five visits to Fulham, Newcastle were in for a difficult afternoon in West London with Raul Jimenez giving the hosts the lead inside the opening five minutes. Emile Smith Rowe made it 2-0 by half-time following an error by Nick Pope before Harvey Barnes pulled a goal back shortly after the second-half restart but Fulham secured victory in stoppage time with Reiss Nelson scoring to make it 3-1.
It meant The Magpies missed the opportunity to go top of the Premier League after five matches and instead dropped out of the top four.
Here are five talking points from the match…
Eddie Howe admits selection ‘mistake’ as four changes made
There were four changes to the side that beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 ahead of the trip to Fulham with Sean Longataff, Jacob Murphy, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento dropping out for Joe Willock, Harvey Barnes, Lloyd Kelly and Kieran Trippier.
But for the second game running, Eddie Howe made significant half-time changes as he withdrew Willock and Kelly and tweaked the formation as Newcastle found themselves 2-0 down.
The opening 45 minutes in particular was as poor as Newcastle have been under Howe but the tactical changes and introduction of Murphy and Hall for the second half gave the visitors something to play for as they got back into the game.
Murphy slipped through Barnes to pull a goal back moments after the restart but The Magpies were unable to find an equaliser with Howe suggesting after the match he had made an error with his team selection
“Joe did so well against Wolves and I felt it was right to reward him with a start but then you see the game and I question whether that was the right decision from myself so I’ll take responsibility for that,” he told The Gazette.
“Joe is just back from injury and done very well to come back, he’s such a big player for us and I was keen to see him play but it was a tough one for him and the team.”
Tino Livramento, Sandro Tonali and Will Osula came on in the closing stages as Newcastle chased an equaliser to no avail.
Joe Willock in action against Fulham.Joe Willock in action against Fulham.
Joe Willock in action against Fulham. | Getty Images
Sandro Tonali’s wait for a Premier League start continues
While Tonali got on the pitch for a fourth successive match since his 10 month ban was lifted, the 24-year-old is still yet to start a Premier League game since last October. Howe’s decision to bring in Willock, who had only just returned from injury over the Italian may have been a mistake as the Newcastle boss suggested.
But when questioned about Tonali after the match, Howe explained: “There is no doubting Sandro’s quality but as I’ve said I’ve got to introduce him at the right time for everyone.
“I’m Sandro’s biggest supporter as well but I can only judge what I see. Sandro came on the pitch today and I don’t think we were particularly good in that phase of the game. I wanted us to chase the game better towards the end but every player has the opportunity when they’re on the pitch to make a difference.”
Bruno Guimaraes ‘apology’ as Newcastle United’s key players fail to turn up
A growing concern for Newcastle this season has been the performances of big players such as Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon. Although results had been on The Magpies’ side before Saturday, performance levels have been questioned since the opening day.
Those often thought to be Newcastle’s most dependable top-performing players struggling and cutting frustrated figures on the field came into sharper focus in the wake of defeat on Saturday. After Guimaraes’ loose ball led to Fulham’s third goal, the Brazilian held his hands up to the travelling supporters as if to apologise and later took to social media to admit his mistake.
It was a tough afternoon for the Newcastle skipper and his team-mates. Joelinton once again struggled to compose himself in the middle of the park while both Gordon and Isak posed little threat in attack.
Gordon and Isak contributed 37 goals between them for Newcastle last season but have just two goals in the opening six games of the 2024-25 campaign so far. Gordon had a chance to equalise for Newcastle that he hit at Bernd Leno in the second half while Isak failed to register a shot on target on his 25th birthday after passing a late fitness test on a toe issue.
Andreas Pereira of Fulham is challenged by Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Newcastle United FC at Craven Cottage on September 21, 2024 in London, England.Andreas Pereira of Fulham is challenged by Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Newcastle United FC at Craven Cottage on September 21, 2024 in London, England.
Andreas Pereira of Fulham is challenged by Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Newcastle United FC at Craven Cottage on September 21, 2024 in London, England. | Getty Images
Fabian Schar’s chance to equalise
The story of the day could have been very different for Newcastle had Fabian Schar converted a golden opportunity to equalise heading into the closing stages. The Swiss centre-back intercepted Leno’s goal kick before striking the ball into the side netting with Isak open and available for a tap-in.
Newcastle had the momentum in the match at the time with Gordon coming close moments earlier but faded after the miss. While Howe admitted it was a key moment in the game, he was reluctant to criticise his player.
“Fabian has ended up in a position with a defender who has dragged him in short and he’s won the ball back brilliantly for us,” Howe explained. “I think if Fabby were to watch it again he would make that decision but it’s very easy to make those statements when you’re watching but very, very different when you’re in the speed of the game.
“It was a key moment for us but we saw last week Fabian scored a great goal and played well.”
Newcastle United hierarchy watch on as unbeaten start ends
Newcastle chief executive Darren Eales, sporting director Paul Mitchell and performance director James Bunce were sat in the stands at Craven Cottage as the side succumbed to their first defeat of the campaign after six games.
A transitional summer at St James’ Park and lack of significant summer signings have put the spotlight on Eales and new recruits Mitchell and Bunce. Newcastle’s strong start to the new season in terms of results toned the behind the scenes noise and scrutiny down but it has continued to rumble on in the background.
The trio were caught by the Premier League cameras looking dejected at Craven Cottage as Howe’s side suffered a deserved defeat.
Now Howe and his players must bounce back at AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night ahead of a tricky run of fixtures in the Premier League. It is only one defeat as things stand but the context of it and just how poor Newcastle have been on the whole this season compared to their previously high standards remains a big worry.
Football is about controlling the controllable and you can’t always do that with results, but almost two months into the new season, Newcastle must re-establish some form of identity and quality in terms of their performances or things could quickly get worse before they get better.
