Eddie Howe and Fabian Schar
Eddie Howe and Fabian Schar
Newcastle United remain in the bottom half following a disappointing 4-2 defeat against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring for the hosts in the eighth minutes before Alexander Isak equalised just a few minutes later after diverting Jacob Murphy's shot into the net. Yoane Wissa put Brentford back in front, following an error from Harvey Barnes, but the Newcastle forward atoned for his mistake by drawing the visitors level once again. However, Brentford were by far the better side after the break and goals from Nathan Collins and substitute Kevin Schade sealed the Bees' first ever Premier League win against Newcastle.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
Defensive horror show leaves Eddie Howe 'cringing'
Newcastle may have worn their Entertainers-inspired away kit - but this performance was not a flattering tribute to Kevin Keegan's side. Les Ferdinand once remarked: "If you score one, we will score two. If you score two, we will score three. As great as that sounds, it doesn't always work out that way." So it proved on Saturday.
Twice Newcastle came from behind away from home yet the Magpies ended up going home with nothing. If Newcastle's defending for Bryan Mbeumo's opener and Yoane Wissa's second was cheap, well, the visitors were all at sea for Brentford's third.
Bryan Mbeumo of Brentford celebrates scoring his team's first goal
Newcastle had been well-briefed about Brentford's threat from set-pieces although you would not necessarily have known it in the 56th minute. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken pumped the ball into the box from deep inside his own half and Fabian Schar jumped above Igor Thiago, but missed his header. The ball was allowed to bounce inside the box and Nathan Collins was there to fire Brentford back in front. Substitute Kevin Schade sealed the victory in stoppage time from close range on an afternoon Howe admitted to NUFC TV that 'the goals we conceded, we'll look back on and cringe'.
Newcastle had been solid at the back not so long ago - in fact, it was the black-and-whites' output in the final third which was once the issue - but Howe's team have now conceded 10 goals in just four games since the international break. For context, in the previous four league games, Newcastle only let in four.
This side are 12th for a reason as some fans vote with feet
Brentford had the best home record in the division. Not only were Thomas Frank's side unbeaten at the Gtech - they had won six of their previous seven games on home soil and no other side had scored more goals on their own turf even before the visit of Newcastle.
This was every bit a test of Newcastle's European credentials as a game against league leaders Liverpool at St James' Park. It was all well and good beating Arsenal and Spurs, drawing against Liverpool and Manchester City and knocking Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup, but Newcastle had previously claimed just three points from a possible 18 in matches versus Bournemouth, Fulham, Everton, Brighton, West Ham and Crystal Palace before the trip to Brentford.
Newcastle have no divine right to win any game, in a season where a host of sides are struggling for a run of results in a congested table, but the black-and-whites are 12th for a reason. What was worrying on Saturday was, having managed to end the first half strongly, at 2-2, Newcastle faded after the break and failed to trouble Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken despite there being more than half an hour left to go after Brentford retook the lead.
Dan Burn shows his frustration
Aside from a Sandro Tonali header, which went over the bar late on, Newcastle never looked like getting back into this and the visitors became increasingly ragged despite introducing quality options from the bench like Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Callum Wilson. Those 1,706 travelling Geordies who braved Storm Darragh to get to the capital deserved better. No wonder a number of fans left before players and staff made their way over to applaud the away end at full-time.
Alarming second-half dip after first-half fightback
Newcastle knew what was coming. Brentford have scored 19 goals in the first half this season - a dozen more than Newcastle - and the Bees have tended to race out of the blocks at home, in particular. Leicester City, for example, found themselves 3-1 down at half-time last week while Wolves were 4-2 down at the break a couple of months ago. No wonder Eddie Howe stressed 'attitude is everything'.
On Saturday, with just eight minutes on the clock, Newcastle conceded the opener. How would the Magpies respond against a side who are so dangerous at home? It did not take long to find out.
Brentford's lead lasted just three minutes after Alexander Isak managed to divert Jacob Murphy's whipped effort into the net with a diving header. Rather than celebrating, Isak immediately grabbed the ball and led his team-mates back to the centre circle so the game could get back under way. The message was clear: Newcastle were going for the throat.
Isak soon created a glorious opportunity after dispossessing Nathan Collins out on the right and rounding goalkeeper Mark Flekken. However, with the goal gaping, Isak took an extra touch, which enabled Flekken to recover and claw the ball away.
Mark Flekken of Brentford makes a save against Alexander Isak
Brentford would punish Newcastle for that miss - Yoane Wissa fired the hosts back in front - but the black-and-whites recovered once again to draw level through Harvey Barnes a few minutes later. However, when Newcastle gifted Brentford the lead once more, in the second-half, the visitors had no answer. This side have now only claimed two points from a possible 12 since the international break.
Harvey Barnes atones for error
Newcastle had some tired bodies following a dramatic 3-3 draw against Liverpool, which opened the door for Harvey Barnes to make just his first start in seven weeks after Anthony Gordon could only make the bench. Let's just say it ended up being one of Barnes' more eventful games for Newcastle - at both ends of the pitch.
There was less than half-an-hour on the clock when Barnes, picking up the ball just inside his own half, attempted to play a risky cross field pass to Fabian Schar. The forward ended up finding Yoane Wissa instead. Wissa's eyes lit up, as Schar back peddled, and the Brentford star fired the hosts back in front.
Barnes' head could have dropped but the 26-year-old, to his credit, quickly made amends. In fact, just four minutes later, Barnes swept home from inside the box following Jacob Murphy's cutback into the box.
Harvey Barnes scores for Newcastle United at Brentford (Image: IAIN BUIST)
Mbeumo vs Murphy
If there is one position that has perhaps summed up Newcastle's inconsistency this season, it's at right wing, where five different players - Jacob Murphy, Miguel Almiron, Anthony Gordon, Joelinton and Harvey Barnes - have pitched up at one point or another, whether it is from the off or the bench. It feels inevitable that Newcastle will finally strengthen this area of the team in 2025 having failed to do so since the takeover.
Bryan Mbeumo is one of those players who are on Newcastle's radar, having been directly involved in 11 Premier League goals this season, and it did not take the Cameroon international long to hurt the Magpies. Christian Norgaard switched the ball out to Mbeumo on the right-hand side and the Brentford star cut inside Lewis Hall before dancing into the box and whipping the ball past Nick Pope despite four Newcastle players being around him.
Another right winger, Murphy, played his part in Newcastle's first-half fightback - having a big hand in both of the visitors' goals - before heading over from Harvey Barnes' cross just before the break. However, Newcastle's attacking threat faded in the second half and Mbeumo would ultimately tee up Brentford's fourth goal to seal the win after cleverly taking the ball away from Schar on the turn and squaring the ball to his team-mate.