Louise Taylor was there at St James’ Park to see it all.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was rather happier when he spoke to Sky Sports:
Certainly a crazy second half. A lot happened in it.
I thought the first challenge could have been a penalty. That wasn’t given. The second one I didn’t think was but was bizarrely given. The double touch I couldn’t see, but I was really pleased to see it go that way.
These moments can sometimes do that [galvanise you]. Something happens, a flash point, we didn’t concede. The crowd were really good for us from that moment on.
The goal was a special moment. So pleased for Alex. You want to hit the ground running at a new club and he did before the injury. He had to wait and watch the team do well in his absence. He’s worked hard. For these moments the work was worth it.
“Bruno was very distressed. He was in a lot of pain. He twisted his ankle and felt he could run it off. In the end he needed to be withdrawn.
Marco Silva was not happy when he spoke to Sky Sports.
So many things to say about the ref’s performance. But first I will say that I am really proud of the players and my team. We had ambition, quality, desire and showed why we are doing so well this season.
I have to say Newcastle’s physicality and quality is really good. From the first minutes, we demonstrated our quality. We did not have enough time to prepare well after we had a tough tough game 60 hours ago. Newcastle were much fresher than us. We never lost our organisation. We showed always that we were very compact as a block. Unlucky afternoon for us.
The referee. It is a clear penalty, red card for the player and the game would be completely different. The fourth official gave it but the referee made his decision. On Andreas Pereira, it was clear that it was a red card. The red card would have made it completely different, with 10 men. I felt it from the first minute unfortunately.
Credit to Newcastle, they are a really strong side as well. We missed a penalty and we should have attacked more. Credit to them for not giving us more chances. We knew that we could not press for the full 90 minutes. We were very unlucky this afternoon. Very unlucky the way we lost this game. It went against us.
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Andy Luke gets in touch: “It’s 11:00 pm here in Phnom Penh but I might struggle to sleep before going in to teach tomorrow morning!! What a game, and the Toon boys thoroughly deserved it!!”
Contrasting views on social media.
YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!! pic.twitter.com/v0Npfj7U7Z
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) January 15, 2023
Our five-match winning run comes to an end.#NEWFUL pic.twitter.com/dsvGhbcuBW
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) January 15, 2023
John Little: “The Fulham goalie then does that lying on the ball thing. Very nice, you brought the image of the game beautifully to a trampoline park just outside Prague.”
Chris Paraskevas is happy: “Get In! That feels like a massive moment in our season. It’s 3 am now but I’m buzzing. And the victory almost wiped my memory clean of the Vardy v Rooney TV movie from earlier this evening (a seminal moment in British broadcasting that made it all the way Down Under...)“
That’s where that win takes Newcastle. Fulham stay in sixth.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 17 | 26 | 44 |
| 2 | Man City | 18 | 28 | 39 |
| 3 | Newcastle | 19 | 22 | 38 |
| 4 | Man Utd | 18 | 8 | 38 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 18 | 12 | 33 |
Full-time: Newcastle 1-0 Fulham
A potential horror show became a late show for Newcastle. How did that happen to Mitrovic? And how did the ball make its way to Isak to score after 89 minutes of stout Fulham defending? Newcastle cap a fine week. They go up to third.
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90+6 min: The Geordie army rings out. This is one that could have got away and yet it didn’t. It has helped to have a £63m sub come on and win it for them, but that’s the new Newcastle for you.
90+5 min: Callum Wilson, who set up what looks to be the winning goal, goes off for Chris Wood. This stoppage time could go on for a fair while yet.
90+4 min: There has barely been a second of open play since the goal. It’s all stop-start. Jacob Murphy seems to be injured. A muscle strain looks to be the problem. Chris Wood is imminent as Silva, muttering walks all around the technical area in disgust.
90+2 min: Three changes for Fulham, Bobby Reid, Harrison Reed and Diop off, on come Tom Cairney, Vincius and Harry Wilson. Too little, too late and Marco Silva is raging.
90 min: “Focus,” bellows Eddie Howe, miming it, too. And Newcastle have five minutes more to see out.
Goal! Newcastle 1-0 Fulham (Isak, 89)
Fulham back in numbers, and Palhinha smashes into Saint-Maximin and twice over, but still Newcastle have the ball. And suddenly, the opening comes after patience. They keep the ball alive, and Longstaff chips in, and then Wilson, as Diop dallies, knocks the ball into Isak. From a yard out, he cannot miss.
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86 min: Kurzawa took a blow to the back of the head, and, eyes watering, leaves the field to come back on again.
85 min: Another chance for Newcastle to launch the ball into the Fulham area, but first Miguel Almiron goes off for Jacob Murphy. Again, Fulham clear the ball, and Kurzawa goes down after running into the not inconsiderable bulk of Joelinton.
83 min: Isak releases Wilson and Fulham are forced to concede a corner. Trippier again will take, and Joelinton on the back post can only head it to the arms of Leno. The Fulham goalie then does that lying on the ball thing.
82 min: Tim Ream is most annoyed at a free-kick award, that ends up with Diop heading away as Trippier knocks the ball in. Diop has been the pick of the defenders.
79 min: Mitrovic is down after barrelling through in the style of a second-row forward picking the ball up from a rolling maul. He manages to foul Trippier as he goes down.
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78 min: Josse McMahon calls in: “I just can’t understand how that penalty was given. Reid clearly studded Trippier on the ankle before any contact from Trippier on Reid’s other foot. An obvious foul on Trippier, surely.”
Oh well, they missed it anyway.
77 min: Leno makes two saves, the first from Wilson from the byline, the second from Saint-Maximin. Fulham bring on Dan James and Tosin, as Willian and Pereira depart.
76 min: Pereira’s free-kick into the box finds Palhinha and Mitrovic fighting over a loose ball. Chaos indeed. Cool heads needed. The Fulham pair have a small confrontation.
74 min: It’s all getting a bit edgy and panicky now, and Fulham are trying to rectify that from the bench. Looks like Tosin will be coming on.
72 min: Isak on for Newcastle, replacing Joe Willock. Eddie Howe going for two men up front.
71 min: That was a totally bonkers few minutes. Newcastle reprieved by a freak accident, and now they look for a goal.
Mitrovic misses with a double touch!
Plenty of too-ing and fro-ing, as Trippier argues his case. There’s even two balls on the field. At first, it seems Pereira will take it, then Pope is booked for messing about. Mitrovic takes, but then slips and somehow hits the ball off his ankle and into the net. A double touch, and ruled out. Wow once more.
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Penalty to Fulham!
66 min: Chaos in the Newcastle box as Pereira and Burn clash, with the Fulham player going down. It looked a penalty but it seems the Fulham player went down too easily when Burn’s hand was on his back. But there’s another look. Bobby Reid gets to the very edge of the box, and is tripped by Trippier. After a couple of phases of play, the VAR is called and a penalty is awarded. Wow. Bobby Reid looked to go down easily too.
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63 min: Pereira is booked for legging up a speeding Callum Wilson. Tripper loops the free-kick in with very little backlift and Leno does well to punch away.
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61 min: Schar takes, a dummy run as Trippier was expected to take it, and hits the base of the post. It’s cleared, just about. From the corner, this time taken by Trippier, Wilson heads wide.
60 min: Lovely skill from Joelinton, who is then brought down by Tim Ream, who is then booked for his troubles. Free-kick in a dangerous area…
59 min: The action is sashaying this way and that but the final ball for both teams has been badly lacking.
Eric Peterson gets in touch: “Hilarious moment on the Trippier free kick at 43’. The Newcastle players ignored the referee’s orders to move the ball back to where he wanted the free kick taken. The referee walked over to the ball, picked it up, walked back about five yards to said spot, and placed the ball down. Trippier came over and toe-dragged the ball forward out of the referee’s feet and placed it for his kick. The referee picked up the ball again, placed it where he originally had, then sprayed the foam and walked off the ten yards. While he had his back turned doing that, Trippier picked up the foam in one clump, placed it forward maybe by a foot, and placed the ball. Immature but hilarious. I love football.”
57 min: It’s a really even contest now, with Fulham not afraid of opponents who do seem to lack inspiration up front.
55 min: But now it’s Fulham on the attack, and Pope flaps at a Pereira corner, and the ball might well have been arrowing into the goal. Pereira takes the next corner, and Newcastle try to break, only to get stopped in their tracks.
53 min: Fulham get a corner, and one that Palhinha heads behind. They had bought respite for a while but Newcastle get back underway with the attacking.
51 min: Another Tripper dead ball, this time headed wide by Wilson. Newcastle are pushing and pushing. Feels like Fulham have a storm to weather.
49 min: Newcastle have begun with some gusto, and Kurzawa is booked for fouling Almiron. Trippier booms the resultant free-kick over everyone.
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47 min: That’s a big blow to Newcastle, and with some big fixtures coming. Lomgstaff has moved to central midfield and Saint-Maximin is out on the left flank.
46 min: We are back, and as expected Guimaraes has left the field, as Allan Saint-Maximin comes on to replace him. There’s talk of tears from the departed Brazilian.
Half-time: Newcastle 0-0 Fulham
We close out with an Almiron shot at Leno. Newcastle grew into the half as it went but without much in the way of concerted quality. We wait to see if Bruno Guimaraes continues in the second half. He limps off in some pain. Fulham’s defence has done OK, but then so has that of Newcastle. All to play for. It’s not been quite what you would call absorbing.
45+1 min: Three minutes are added on, which seems slim considering all that Newcastle treatment. There’s still time for Callum Wilson to escape Diop and Ream, but then not be able to send Leno the wrong way.
44 min: Tete clears the danger from the corner, and then Trippier almost plays Pope into lumber, only for Pope, unencumbered by his previous problem, comes out to hoik the ball away.
43 min: A foul on Longstaff, and one that Pereira in particular feels was unjustly awarded. Newcastle try to push the ball forward, only for the referee to pull the ball back into its proper position. Trippier can only hit the wall, and win a corner.
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41 min: Howls of outrage from an agitated crowd as Willock is penalised during a Newcastle attack. Newcastle go again, but when Wilson crosses into the box, they could really do with him being on the end of it.
40 min: Schar breaks up a Fulham attack and finds a space through for Callum Wilson, who turns and shoots. Leno makes the save. That was a first proper breaking of the lines by either team. It’s been very tactical so far.
38 min: Diop – who been excellent – clears up as Longstaff’s pass across goal fails to find Callum Wilson.
36 min: Both injured parties OK to continue, while mystery remains over what happened to Pope, who then catches a Bobby Reid cross with some ease.
34 min: Overtime for the Toon physios. Both Nick Pope and Bruno are down. Bruno is being strapped up while Pope seems to have done a mischief to his ankle.
32 min: Almiron, in his favourite inside-right half-space, has a shot blocked. Previously. he’d been quiet. Joe Willock, from the rebound of the resultant corner, whacks long.
29 min: This is an even contest, and doesn’t look like breaking into a goalfest. The defences from both teams have been organised, and muscular. Schar does well as Willian’s ball to the back post lets in BobbyReid, though at the expense of a corner. And that comes to little when Mitrovic uses Schar as a climbing frame.
27 min: Leno climbs highest to catch a steepled Trippier ball into the Newcastle box.
26 min: Newcastle beginning to look like they mean business now….
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24 min: Bruno moving better though not with the fluency that made his name. In the flesh, he’s a hell of a player to watch, though so is Joelinton. Their hairstyles can lead to confusion between them, giving the lie to the idea they are absolutely everywhere. The same used to go for Thomas Gravesen and Lee Carsley at Everton. They could do with such players now.
22 min: Jeff Sax gets in touch: “ It is inexcusable the inclusion of a player who was caught driving under the influence. With so many young people following football, an example must be set by high profile people.(As a physician I treat the terrible consequences that result from drinking and driving).”
Joe Pearson’s a true head: “How about ‘Pull Me Under’ by Dream Theater, a prog metal classic! for a song that finishes abruptly.”
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21 min: Jeremy Boyce gets in touch: “Hello John. Looking at the top 6 you could be forgiven for thinking that we’ve timewarped back to the 50s/60s. Arse, ManU, Noocassle, Spurs, Fulham... Just needs Haynes and Milburn on today’s team sheets and that would be it. And if you look at 7th and 8th, the 2 Bs, you could substitute them with Bolton and Burnley for that truly authentic 50s/60s vibe. The resemblance doesn’t end there : Liverpool and Chelsea languishing in mid-table, Wolves and Villa present, albeit nearer the bottom. So in fact, despite offering the likes of Swindon Town etc. a season in the sun, the Premier League has done little to truly democratise the money and power in the game. What goes around comes around, eh ? Apart from Spurs actually winning anything, obviously.”
20 min: Bruno is back on but moving with little fluency, but it is bystander as Sean Longstaff speed to the byline, and it takes Harrison Reed to clear it. Next, Wilson gets a a chance by the penalty spot, and that’s blocked off by Diop. Newcastle building up a head of steam.
18 min: Palhinha and Guimaraes and it’s the Brazilian comes off worse, and there’s a loud shout of agony. He looked to twist something, and is still in pain as he gets to his feet. There’s a shake of the head as he comes off.
16 min: Eventually, Mitrovic is penalised for a handball from that corner but the sound of Jason Tindall shouting “away” was clearly audible.
15 min: Diop and Willian link well down the right and force a corner, and some angst from the home fans. Fulham look much the likelier to score at the moment.
14 min: Fulham are making Newcastle work here, and in defence, too. Callum Wilson has seen little of the ball.
12 min: Newcastle have a corner, and one taken short before Trippier loops one in, onkly for the danger to be cleared. Fulham had read it well, and get it clear.
11 min: Willian gets the ball in space, sends Pereira away. And Mitrovic gets the ball, turns and then shoots, before Tete clatters wide. Fulham are up for this.
9 min: Trippier is penalised for a handball and Fulham have chance to aim for Mitrovic. The ball is cleared and then Palhinha goes down, but eventually an offside is called to end the Fulham attack.
7 min: Willian takes a knock but will be fine to go on. Marco Silva is dishing out instructions from the sidelines, stepping out of that perspex-glass sheltered dugout at St James’.
5 min: Close for Newcastle. Longstaff was in in on goal, only for Diop to block him off.
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4 min: It’s all squeezed up tight by Fulham, who like to play on the front foot, and can leave space behind them. They’ve been excellent since their opening 3-3 draw with Liverpool, that approach bringing them great success.
3 min: An early sighter for Joe Willock, as Joelinton flicks on. He had time and space to make a better fist of it than that, a waft well wide of the goal.
1 min: We’re off, and begin with Fulham making an attacking start. That’s the way they play.
Some manly hugs between the Newcastle players, while Mitrovic ties his shoelaces. Eddie Howe sits in contemplation, before Jason Tindall, his faithful assistant, has a quiet word. Jason will not be staying quiet for long. Now some Hey Jude, and away we go at St James’.
The teams are in the tunnel, and the music is pumping at St James’, where there’s always a good selection of records played. Local Hero, of course, tops the lot. Now there’s a record that ends suddenly, as if it were the theme to an advert rather than a film soundtrack.
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Howe also spoke about Joelinton’s inclusion despite being arrested for drink-driving in midweek.
We don’t underestimate the severity of what he did. We’ve dealt with him internally and had discussions with him and the group. He’s very remorseful, very sad. We’ve put him into the team based on everything we know.
The Newcastle manager, Eddie Howe, spoke to Sky Sports.
I think we’re coming in on a high but understanding how tough this game is going to be, two good sides going against each other. Marco [Silva’s] been incredible this season he deserves a lot of credit. Not just the results but the way they’ve been getting them. Teams are going to make it difficult for us, every game’s a big challenge.
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Chris Paraskevas, too: “1 am Kick-Off here in Australia. Eyeing a tray of Cornettos in freezer (23 degrees Celcius atm). Fulham looking a really dangerous proposition: I have a feeling Mitrovic may score today. Dan Burn should definitely have gone to the World Cup, but I’m not surprised he was overlooked. Considered imitating his dancing on Insta but my left ankle is pretty dodge (years spent as a Sunday League Target Man). HTL”
Richard Hirst is in: “Football supporters are pessimists by nature but I think I am just about confident enough to say that we will stop being a yo yo club this season. But today, after a high emotion game on Thursday, and a long trip to Newcastle ….. I’d bite your hand off for a draw. COYW.”
Dan Burn, born in Blyth and another member of the Fulham-Newcastle alliance, has become a cult hero on Tyneside.
The irony is that Burn, rejected by Newcastle as an 11-year-old but watched several times in person by Southgate during the autumn, was not Howe’s first- or even second-choice defensive signing this time last year. Not that Newcastle’s manager harbours the remotest shred of regret about acquiring his burgeoning talent and mature off-field influence.
Extra team news note: Layvin Kurzawa, once of PSG, gets his second Premier League start for Fulham as he’s in for the suspended Antonee Robinson. Big test for him.
What a good job Eddie Howe is doing, by the way. Here’s Jonathan Wilson’s thoughts.
Newcastle have the best defensive record in the Premier League. They have conceded only 11 times in 18 games. Only Neto has saved a higher proportion of shots than Nick Pope this season, but they lie fourth in the expected goals against chart. And they are getting better. They have let in only two goals in their last nine league games. Only Manchester City, Liverpool and Sheffield Wednesday have scored more than one against them this season.
The table has a healthy look to it for both clubs. Tight at the top, right? Though Arsenal can stretch it out later today.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 17 | 26 | 44 |
| 2 | Man City | 18 | 28 | 39 |
| 3 | Man Utd | 18 | 8 | 38 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 18 | 21 | 35 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 18 | 12 | 33 |
| 6 | Fulham | 19 | 4 | 31 |
| 7 | Brighton | 18 | 10 | 30 |
| 8 | Brentford | 19 | 4 | 29 |
| 9 | Liverpool | 18 | 9 | 28 |
| 10 | Chelsea | 18 | 0 | 25 |
| 11 | Aston Villa | 19 | -5 | 25 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 17 | -8 | 22 |
| 13 | Nottm Forest | 19 | -19 | 20 |
| 14 | Leeds | 18 | -7 | 17 |
| 15 | Leicester | 19 | -7 | 17 |
| 16 | Wolverhampton | 19 | -15 | 17 |
| 17 | AFC Bournemouth | 19 | -23 | 16 |
| 18 | West Ham | 19 | -10 | 15 |
| 19 | Everton | 19 | -11 | 15 |
| 20 | Southampton | 19 | -17 | 15 |
Joelinton, against expectation considering his brush with the law this week, starts for Newcastle, who are unchanged from their defeat of Leicester on Tuesday. Fulham have won five in a row, and welcome back Mitrovic with Issa Diop replaces Tosin Adarabioyo in defence.
Here are the teams
Newcastle: Pope, Trippier, Botman, Schar, Burn, Guimaraes, Willock, Longstaff, Joelinton, Almiron, Wilson Subs: Darlow, Lascelles, Saint-Maximin, Ritchie, Isak, Manquillo, Wood, Murphy, Lewis
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Diop, Ream, Kurzawa, Reed, Palhinha, Pereira, Decordova-Reid, Mitrovic, Willian Subs: Rodak, Tosin, Wilson, Cairney, Solomon, Chalobah, James, Vinicius, Harris
Preamble
Newcastle and Fulham, two clubs with more links than you might think between a club in the working-class heartlands of the north east and bourgeois south-west London. Some names? Malcolm MacDonald, Kevin Keegan, Andy Cole, Louis Saha, Scott E Parker, Lee Clark and Aaron Hughes. And Aleksandar Mitrovic, of course, who is expected to return from suspension and injury to lead the line for Fulham, and who is recalled on Tyneside as a raw, talented player who never quite made the grade, and who suffered from a lack off ill-discipline. These days, he is Fulham’s talisman, so let’s hope we get to see him in action. Not that Fulham missed him in midweek in showing Chelsea that they are are the actual pride of bourgeois south-west London. Newcastle meanwhile, having exited the FA Cup at the hands of Hi-Ho Sheffield Wednesday (in memoriam, Jeff Beck), and made it to the League Cup semis, can concentrate on consolidating their top-four opponents. Marco Silva is an attacking manager, while Newcastle have the best defence in the division. Something’s got to give. Probably.
Kickoff is 2pm UK time. Join me.
