Newcastle could not take their chance. Three points would have maintained the unbeaten start to the season, taken them to the top of the table for the evening, raised the growing optimism after a turbulent summer. Instead, they were made to rue a poor first-half display against a delightful Fulham frontline, goals from Raúl Jiménez, Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson securing a home victory.
The visitors never found their rhythm even if they set up a game for the second half, Harvey Barnes’s goal in the first minute after the restart making it 2-1. For the hosts, the worry was obvious: they had blown a lead last Saturday against West Ham through a late Danny Ings equaliser; would this be more of the same? But they hung on until Nelson’s goal in stoppage time, the substitute given an easy opportunity in the area after a wayward clearance from Bruno Guimarães.
