Newcastle United held off Nottingham Forest in a thrilling seven-goal match at St James’ Park, edging to a 4-3 win that closed the gap to three points between the two teams in the Premier League standings. The game showcased an intense battle with moments of brilliance and lapses in concentration, particularly from the home side.
Eddie Howe’s team had been reeling from a heavy 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup and had spent the week focusing on correcting their mistakes. While they showed improvement, their defensive lapses nearly allowed Forest to stage a dramatic comeback.
Nottingham Forest took an early lead in the sixth minute, with Callum Hudson-Odoi capitalizing on a mistake by Jacob Murphy and a poor throw-in from Tino Livramento. Hudson-Odoi cut in from the left and found the net with a well-placed shot that beat goalkeeper Nick Pope at the near post.
However, Newcastle responded swiftly with four goals in the following 11 minutes. The equalizer came from Lewis Miley, who finished calmly from a Lewis Hall cross. Murphy, looking to make amends for his earlier mistake, scored next after an intelligent backheel from Alexander Isak. The home side then extended their lead through a penalty, awarded after a handball by Forest’s Ola Aina. Isak converted the spot-kick, and before halftime, he scored again, benefiting from a deflection off Murillo.
Forest showed resilience, and in the second half, they fought back. Anthony Elanga missed a golden opportunity before Nikola Milenkovic pulled one back for Forest, flicking a cross from Chris Wood past Pope. As Newcastle’s defensive focus slipped, Ryan Yates capitalized on another defensive lapse, scoring a half-volley from an Elanga corner to make it 4-3.
Despite the pressure, Howe’s team held on for the win, but the game exposed their vulnerability, with defensive lapses and a tendency to lose focus in key moments. While Forest’s persistence was commendable, Newcastle’s attacking strength, led by Isak and Miley, proved decisive.
