Saturday in West London ended Brentford 4 Newcastle 2.
A first half where Newcastle United were the better team and should have been a goal or two up by the break.
A second half where Newcastle United were… blown away.
United just couldn’t really get back going in an attacking sense and that proved a toxic combination with Brentford’s lethal finishing AND Newcastle’s poor defending in both halves.
I think a lot of fair criticism thrown around at NUFC after the final whistle, as well as a lot of nonsense of course.
There is one thing in particular that I simply can’t accept after Brentford 4 Newcastle 2.
That is those Newcastle United fans who go on like NUFC should automatically have been expected to win at the GTech Community Stadium.
Facts simply aren’t relevant when it comes to the ‘thinking’ of some Newcastle United fans.
Just like against Liverpool in midweek, everything pointed to Eddie Howe and his players having to get things really right, to stand any chance of winning this Brentford match.
In Saturday’s game, Newcastle weren’t playing the name of ‘Brentford’, they were playing against the reality.
A really well run modern day club that is very much like a Brighton Mini-Me, an astute recruitment strategy that has not only landed them an excellent clever manager, but also a series of brilliant signings. Signings that in many cases still go below the radar because they remain at Brentford, rather than going to a ‘bigger’ club and then everybody going on like this is a revelation, how good a particular ex-Brentford player is, just because they are now at a club that gets far bigger coverage in the media.
Newcastle United were of course in many ways the architects of their own downfall on Saturday, as they gifted possession in dangerous positions, didn’t take their chances, then defended so badly in key moment.
However, at the same time, you have to accept that Newcastle United had a massive challenge on, to get anything from this match.
A few reasons why Brentford 4 Newcastle 2 wasn’t a shock, or shouldn’t have been:
Brentford have the best home record of all Premier League clubs, it now reads played 8, won 7, drawn 1, lost 0.
Playing at home in all competitions this season, Brentford have played 10 won 9 drawn 1 lost 0.
Brentford have now scored 26 PL goals at home this season, nine more than the next highest. They have scored exactly twice at many at home as Liverpool have scored (13) so far at Anfield.
In the 10 months since mid-February, Brentford have lost only once at home, 4-2 to… Newcastle United in May.
In the whole of 2024 so far, Brentford have only lost at home to Newcastle United, last season’s champions Man City and very likely to be this season’s champions, Liverpool. That is all.
Brentford have averaged 48 points per season in their three full campaigns so far in the top tier, if they continue with their average points per game so far this season, Brentford will end up with 58 points.
Conclusion?
As I said earlier, it was so frustrating that Newcastle United didn’t do better in the first half, in terms of not taking a lot of very good chances (other than the two they did), then helping to gift the opportunities for Mbeumo and Wissa to score with great finishes.
However, the way some Newcastle United fans are going on, you would think this result and second half performance had been at home to League Two Bromley and not away at Premier League-hardened Brentford, who have such an excellent home record as well, which goes way back ten months.
Pretty much any Premier League club would love to have the likes of Mbeumo and Wissa in their teams, as well as other very good performers in this Brentford side.
Brentford 4 Newcastle 2 – Saturday 7 December 3pm
(Stats via BBC Sport)
Goals:
Newcastle United :
Isak 11, Barnes 32
Brentford:
Mbeumo 8, Wissa 28, Collins 56. Schade 90
(Half-time stats in brackets)
Possession was Newcastle 56% (53%) Brentford 44% (47%)
Total shots were Newcastle 16 (9) Brentford 11 (4)
Shots on target were Newcastle 3 (2) Brentford 8 (3)
Corners were Newcastle 4 (2) Brentford 3 (1)
Touches in the box Newcastle 40 (19) Brentford 26 (12)
Newcastle team v Brentford:
Pope, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall (Trippier 83), Joelinton (Tonali 60), Bruno, Longstaff (Wilson 73), Barnes (Almiron 74), Isak, Jacob Murphy (Gordon 60)
Unused Subs:
Dubravka, Targett, Osula, Kelly
(3 Positives and 3 Negatives to take from Brentford 4 Newcastle 2 – Read HERE)
(Brentford 4 Newcastle 2 – Instant Newcastle United fan/writer reaction – Read HERE)
(The wrong kind of six goal thriller this time – Brentford 4 Newcastle 2 – Read HERE)
Newcastle United upcoming matches confirmed to end of January 2025:
Saturday 14 December – Newcastle v Leicester (3pm)
Wednesday 18 December – Newcastle v Brentford (7.45pm) Sky Sports+ (Carabao Cup)
Saturday 21 December – Ipswich v Newcastle (3pm)
Thursday 26 December – Newcastle v Villa (3pm) Amazon
Monday 30 December – Man U v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports
Saturday 4 January – Tottenham v Newcastle (12.30pm) TNT Sports
Sunday 12 January – Newcastle v Bromley (3pm) BBC iPlayer (FA Cup)
Wednesday 15 January – Newcastle v Wolves (7.30pm) TNT Sports
Saturday 18 January – Newcastle v Bournemouth (12.30pm) TNT Sports
Saturday 25 January – Southampton v Newcastle (3pm)