Lewis Hall of Newcastle in action during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St James' Park on January 13, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)placeholder image
Lewis Hall of Newcastle in action during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St James' Park on January 13, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Eddie Howe’s decision to bench Lewis Hall for Newcastle United’s defeat to Arsenal was a contentious one.
Hall was one of five changes from last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at home to AFC Bournemouth as Dan Burn came in at left-back.
The 21-year-old was hooked at half-time and didn’t even make it on the pitch at the Emirates as the Magpies fell to a fourth straight Premier League defeat, and five in all competitions.
It’s now nine losses in 12 for Eddie Howe’s side, who somewhat nervously sit eight points above the Premier League relegation zone with four matches remaining.
Eddie Howe explains controversial Lewis Hall decision
Hall has arguably been one of Newcastle’s strongest performers this season and Howe’s decision to drop him certainly raised eyebrows among supporters.
Explaining his decision, Howe replied: “It's always a difficult decision because Lewis is an outstanding player and you never for any second doubt his qualities and what he can bring to the team.
“But I felt today for a number of reasons that Dan was the right pick in terms of height and physicality and dealing with Arsenal's threats.
“Dan's never let us down in that position. He plays it very differently to Lewis. But I thought that was the right call for this game.”
Eddie Howe reflects on Newcastle United’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal
Eberechi Eze’s ninth-minute goal proved to be the difference between the two sides after Newcastle switched off from a short corner routine.
Howe felt it was an improved performance in Hall’s absence but didn’t lose sight of another defeat,
“I thought it was much better from us as a group of men,” Howe said. “I thought we stood up to the physical challenge of Arsenal.
“I thought we were much better off the ball, much better defensive performance. We looked more like ourselves in that respect. We defended our goal much better today.
“In recent weeks, that's been a definite weakness. Of course, we've conceded a goal and we've lost the game, which ultimately is what matters the most. But I think positive signs that hopefully we can rediscover our best defensive mentality, which we're going to need.
“And then the other side of that is I thought it was a better performance with the ball as well. With Bruno's return, we were more controlled in our build. I thought we were brave with the ball and it created chances to score as well.
“Performance-wise, I'm much more satisfied with that. But of course, it's another defeat and I can't lose sight of the fact that we've lost too many games.”
Newcastle next faced Brighton & Hove Albion at St James’ Park needing a win to put to bed any lingering fears of being dragged into the relegation picture.
A win for Tottenham Hotspur before United kicked off at the Emirates cut the gap to eight points. They still have two of the bottom five left to play in West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.
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