Newcastle’s struggles continued as Fulham staged an impressive comeback to claim a 2-1 victory at St James’ Park. The home side, perhaps distracted by their upcoming Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal, failed to cope with Adama Traoré’s explosive pace and Marco Silva’s well-organized tactics.
Despite a promising start, Newcastle surrendered a first-half lead, allowing Fulham to take control. Jacob Murphy opened the scoring in the 37th minute, latching onto a deflected cross from Anthony Gordon and firing beyond Bernd Leno. Newcastle looked dangerous at times, with Gordon’s direct running unsettling the visitors and Sandro Tonali striking the crossbar with a powerful volley. However, Fulham remained composed, preventing the hosts from sustaining any real pressure.
Silva’s side struggled to find the final pass in the first half, with their best chance before the break coming when Traoré headed wide from an Alex Iwobi cross. Newcastle’s Martin Dubravka had little to do in the opening 45 minutes, but early in the second half, he was forced into a brilliant save to deny Emile Smith Rowe.
Newcastle’s midfield began to look increasingly vulnerable, with even Tonali losing possession too easily. Fulham sensed an opportunity, and their counterattacks became more dangerous. When Calvin Bassey headed a good chance off target, it felt like an equalizer was coming.
That moment arrived when Tonali lost the ball in midfield, allowing Traoré to charge forward at full speed. His pass found Antonee Robinson, whose deflected cross set up Raúl Jiménez for a confident finish past Dubravka. The goal marked Jiménez’s ninth of the season and was a just reward for Fulham’s growing dominance.
Eddie Howe reacted by introducing Kieran Trippier and Joe Willock for Joelinton and Tino Livramento, but despite Alexander Isak striking the woodwork and Newcastle appealing for a handball penalty, their attacking efforts lacked sharpness.
Fulham, on the other hand, made the most of their substitutions. Andreas Pereira’s clever free-kick found Rodrigo Muniz, who flicked the ball past Dubravka to seal the win. The result bolstered Fulham’s European ambitions while leaving Newcastle frustrated ahead of their crucial midweek fixture.
After the match, Silva praised his team’s resilience and ability to contain Newcastle’s physical midfield. Meanwhile, Howe admitted his squad’s depth was an issue but refused to make excuses, acknowledging that his side had to take responsibility for their performance. With Champions League qualification now looking uncertain, Newcastle must quickly regroup before facing Arsenal.
