Howe accepts sluggish begin to blame for Newcastle loss at Fulham


Eddie Howe blamed a poor first-half efficiency from Newcastle United as they fell to a 3-1 Premier League defeat to Fulham on Saturday.

The Magpies’ four-game unbeaten run to start the season – their finest top-flight begin in 29 years – was ended at Craven Cottage.

Raul Jimenez gave Fulham the lead with lower than 5 minutes performed and Emile Smith Rowe added a second 17 minutes later.

Harvey Barnes gave Newcastle hope a minute into the second interval, however Reiss Nelson sealed the three factors for the house aspect in added time.

Requested if his aspect in the end misplaced the sport within the first half, Howe informed BBC Sport: “I feel we did. It was a sluggish begin and the primary purpose was a killer blow for us.

“It was a poor purpose for us to concede; we have to do a lot better. The primary half was troublesome and we seemed stretched in our defending.

“Second half we have been a lot better and we scored an excellent purpose. We thought we might flip the sport round. We had our probabilities and in the end the third purpose killed the sport.”

Victory for Fulham was their first over Newcastle within the Premier League since March 2014, having beforehand gone eight with out a win on this fixture.

None of Newcastle’s 17 visits to Fulham within the Premier League have led to a draw – probably the most instances an actual fixture has been performed within the division with out a single stalemate.

Fabian Schar might have modified that in south London, solely to fireplace into the side-netting after pouncing on a slack move from Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Howe admits issues might have turned out a complete lot completely different had centre-back Schar taken his massive probability with the scoreline at 2-1.

“We gained the ball again excessive and Fabian had the prospect to attain – sadly he didn’t take it,” Howe mentioned.

“Video games swing on massive moments. The character and perspective was higher in that second interval however now we have to be taught our classes from the primary half.

“We’ve to begin the sport higher and be extra entrance footed and extra dominant in our efficiency.”

Howe made a double change on the interval, with Jacob Murphy making an on the spot impression as he turned the primary half-time substitute to help a purpose within the opening minute of a Premier League sport since Marc Albrighton for Leicester Metropolis towards Watford in Could 2022.

That purpose was sarcastically additionally scored by Barnes, however Nelson ensured there could be no comeback as he fired residence following a poor Bruno Guimaraes clearance.

Fulham at the moment are unbeaten of their final 4 Premier League video games – their longest run with out defeat since February 2023.

“It was superb efficiency from us,” Fulham boss Marco Silva mentioned. “ everywhere in the pitch and the entire sport, I feel we have been the crew who deserved to win the sport.

“It was an excellent first half in our picture. I like us to play, creating issues in several methods for the opposition and actually having fun with to embrace the problem in entrance of us.

“We constructed from the again and each time we arrived in central areas. We must always have scored extra objectives from the moments we created.”





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