Howe attempted to spark a reaction from his squad by making six changes to the starting line-up, dropping stalwarts Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier.
Most notably, the Magpies boss opted to hand William Osula a start over £124m strike duo Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa. "I don't pick the team based on transfer fees," Howe explained when asked about the omission of the expensive summer signings. "I pick the team based on what I see".
At first, the gamble appeared to pay off as Osula scored the opening goal, but the team's inability to see out the result remains a major concern.
Newcastle have now dropped more points from winning positions than any other side in the Premier League this season. If they had secured just half of those squandered points, they would be sitting level with Manchester United and Aston Villa in the race for a top four finish.