At this rate the relegation zone will soon have receded to a mere speck in Newcastle’s rear-view mirror. Their unbeaten Premier League run now extends to eight games, five of which have been won, leaving them well on course for the sunlit uplands of mid-table. It would be wrong though to assume they had things quite all their own way against visitors who are stuttering, but still dominate possession.
It took excellent central-defensive performances from the Brighton old boy Dan Burn and a revitalised Fabian Schär to help secure three vital points and consign Brighton to a fourth consecutive league defeat in an electrically charged atmosphere. “We weren’t great but we were probably the better team,” said Graham Potter. “Credit to Eddie [Howe] though, Newcastle were organised and defended well – we know what a good player Dan is – and the crowd makes it hard for away teams. We can’t hide from four straight defeats, but sometimes you need to go through a bit of pain and suffering.”
