[Newcastle United](https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com)’s defensive frailties were laid bare in a chaotic 4–2 defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, extending their winless streak to four matches.
Despite twice drawing level through Alexander Isak and Harvey Barnes in the first half, it was absolutely clear that the Magpies were going nowhere on Saturday and that’s precisely what happened to Eddie Howe’s side as they dropped points once more.
And nearly heading into Christmas, the lads are sitting in 13th place and closer to getting relegated than “winning a trophy in the first five seasons under PIF’s ownership.” Sheesh.
Brentford opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Bryan Mbeumo cut inside Lewis Hall before curling a strike past Nick Pope.
Newcastle responded swiftly, mind you, with Isak converting Jacob Murphy’s deflected cross with a diving header to level the match just three minutes later.
The game turned chaotic as Harvey Barnes’ careless back-pass gifted Yoane Wissa the opportunity to restore Brentford’s lead in the 28th minute. However, in a similar turn of events to those happening a little earlier, Barnes redeemed himself by swiveling in the box to finish Murphy’s cutback and bring Newcastle level once more.
The first half ended with both sides trading errors, setting the stage for a dramatic second half.
Newcastle’s demise started in the 56th minute when Brentford capitalized on another defensive lapse—how surprising.
A long free kick from Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken was allowed to bounce in the Newcastle box, and Nathan Collins finished past Pope to make it 3–2.
Despite bringing on Sandro Tonali, Kieran Trippier, and Anthony Gordon, Newcastle struggled to find a third equalizer in another worrying display.
In the final minute, Kevin Schade sealed Brentford’s victory following a pass from Mbeumo. Newcastle’s struggles continued in stoppage time, with Dan Burn clearing off the line after Pope hesitated outside his area.
Eddie Howe expressed his frustration after the match, particularly at the defensive errors that defined Newcastle’s performance.
“The four goals we conceded we’ll look back on with real regret,” Howe said. “It wasn’t just individual mistakes; it was collective mistakes. We need to fix this quickly.”
The defeat leaves Newcastle with just 10 points from their last 11 Premier League games, as they prepare to host [Leicester City](https://fosseposse.sbnation.com) on December 14.
Howe knew the team was so bad that he even offered an apology to the traveling supporters.
“I’m really sorry for what we delivered,” Howe said. “My pledge is we’ll work as hard as we can to put it right.”
Santa can’t come soon enough.