Work on Newcastle’s stadium project is still a long way off, but the old fortress is starting to crumble.
Arsenal are the visitors for a Carabao Cup semi-final second leg this week. Trailing by two, they will be packing the sledgehammer after Fulham became the latest team to draw a blueprint for demolition.
This defeat made it four for Eddie Howe’s side at St James’ Park this season. Their ceiling is high here, but the floor is low on days like this – much as it was during losses by Bournemouth, West Ham and Brighton.
The mitigation is that a third transfer window is about to close without a first-team addition. When Newcastle led 1-0 early in the second half but clung to their advantage with as much control as a kite in a hurricane, it was inevitable that the visiting storm would bring them level.
Howe looked to his bench and there was nothing to convince him that a change would improve their situation. And so nothing changed. Fulham remained on top and equalised through Raul Jimenez before Rodrigo Muniz scored a deserved winner.
There were home grumbles on full-time, and Newcastle’s head coach offered no excuses.
Rodrigo Muniz snuck in at the back post to claim all three points for Fulham at St James’ Park
Fulham inflicted a second home defeat in as many games on Newcastle, who they closed the gap to the league
The Magpies had taken an early lead when Jacob Murphy (middle) converted from close range
‘We weren’t great athletically and on the ball we were wasteful,’ reflected Howe.
‘Put that together and it’s not a recipe for a great performance. We deserved to lose. The individual and collective levels leave me very frustrated. We didn’t have the control we would have wanted.’
Howe’s men began with the fast and furious Wednesday night vibes they will need when Arsenal come to town. The opening minutes at St James’ usually set the tone for what is to follow.
But it soon felt more like one of those sleepy Saturday slogs for the hosts, who ceded possession and territory to Marco Silva’s side.
Howe was evidently agitated on the touchline, scratching his head as his players started to lose theirs. Too much of what he was seeing picked at the scar tissue of the 4-1 defeat by Bournemouth in their last home outing.
So, when Newcastle did nick the lead on 38 minutes, it was badly needed. Jacob Murphy was the scorer but the goal belonged as much to Anthony Gordon. With his team in a daze, it was the winger who injected the adrenaline that shot them upfield.
From his surge down the left and pull-back, albeit deflected, Murphy steered in from eight yards.
The confidence of the finish captured the winger’s recent form. Not that he or his team-mates looked like winners of 10 of their previous 11 matches in much of what else they did. They were slow in body and mind.
Raul Jimenez restored parity on the hour mark with a well taken header that deflected off the Newcastle scorer
Newcastle missed the chance to go three points clear of Manchester City in the race for Champions League football
The second half opened with Fulham on the front foot and Newcastle tripping over their own. Sandro Tonali’s crossfield pass was intercepted and sparked a break that climaxed with Jimenez’s shot deflecting in via Murphy in the 61st minute.
Parity was fair and so was the winning goal that came eight minutes from time. In between, Alexander Isak hit the crossbar and Joe Willock swiped at fresh air from a few yards out as Newcastle enjoyed a brief spell of pressure, but Fulham were always the most likely scorers of the next goal.
It came when Andreas Pereira delivered a wicked free-kick from the left and fellow substitute Muniz stole in unmarked to flick home at the near post.
‘We deserved the win,’ said Silva. ‘It was a great response to going behind. It is not easy coming here.’
On recent evidence, that last comment was generous. Newcastle could not muster a shot on goal in the closing stages and that was reflective of a sorry afternoon in which the Gallowgate walls wobbled once more.
They will have to hold far more firm when the Gunners park their tanks this week.
