Buzzing Brentford warmed up Eddie Howe’s hot seat with a 3-2 win over skidding Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Saturday which saw the Magpies lustily booed at full time.
MORE — Is Eddie Howe be on the hot seat?
The win was Brentford’s first at Newcastle since 1939.
The Magpies led 1-0 through Sven Botman and later had it 2-2 through a Bruno Guimaraes penalty, but their porous defense allowed goals for Vitaly Janelt, Igor Thiago, and Dango Ouattara.
WATCH — Newcastle v Brentford full match replay
Brentford go seventh with 39 points while Newcastle languish in 12th with 33 points, winless in four-straight Premier League games and five across all competitions.
Brentford show Newcastle what it’s missing
Keith Andrews’ Bees have every reason to languish near the bottom three but are now six points clear of their Champions League hosts thanks to endeavor, ideas, and commitment. Dango Ouattara ran wild on Kieran Trippier’s side and Howe’s team looking clueless in the final third aside from a header off a corner kick and a well-won penalty. The return of Bruno Guimaraes helped Newcastle quite a bit but the Magpies looked stale as the Bees took advantage on the counter attack, exposing the spaces on the flanks. But really this was about belief. Ex-Brentford striker Yoane Wissa is a shell of his best right now and joined Joe Willock as rightful halftime subs. Newcastle were better upon the entries of Nick Woltemade and Anthony Elanga but that did nothing to clean up the back end. Brentford had a better plan, made better adjustments, and won by enthusiastically doing the little things better than their more-celebrated hosts.
Eddie Howe reaction
Thoughts on the game? “Really disappointing. Strange game cause I think at 2-2 you think we’re the team that’s going to go ahead and win this game but the game got away with us with a really disappointing third goal.
What happened for that third goal? “We’re all-out attack in that moment, which is fine, but we need to do it in control. It’s disappointing for a lot of reasons but I think it’s best to keep it to myself.”
Ten goals conceded in the past few games: “It’s been a massive problem in these last groups of games. We know if you defend well you’ve got a chance with our attacking players. If you score two you/ve got a real chance.”
A lot of games and a lot of injuries: “It’s difficult but I don’t think we can look for excuses. I don’t think that’s healthy for the brain. We’ve got to hit it head on and try to dig out a result. The only way to think of it is to attack it and do our best.”
Understandable boos at halftime? “It comes with the territory when you’re club this size and you don’t hit the heights you’re can’t help it.”
What’s next?
Newcastle go to Spurs on Tuesday, then visit Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Brentford host Arsenal on Thursday before an FA Cup visit to Macclesfield on February 16.
Newcastle vs Brentford final score: 2-3
Sven Botman 24', Vitaly Janelt 37', Igor Thiago pen 45+2', Bruno Guimaraes pen 79', Dango Ouattara 86'
Nine minutes’ stoppage time
Plenty of time for another goal on Tyneside.
Newcastle subs
Jacob Ramsey and Dan Burn enter for Tonali and Trippier.
Brentford bring on Mikkel Damsgaard for Jensen.
Dango Ouattara goal — Newcastle 2-3 Brentford
The Magpies fall asleep at the back again, and Dango Ouattara has restored Brentford’s lead.
Kieran Trippier is barely jogging as Ouattara is spotted on the left flank, and the right back’s poor day gets worse.
Brentford sub
Romell Donovan, 19, takes the place of Lewis-Potter in the 80th minute.
Bruno Guimaraes penalty goal — Newcastle 2-2 Brentford
It’s Guimaraes against Kelleher in the 79th minute, and it’s 2-2.
Newcastle penalty
Bruno Guimaraes is stopped from getting to a cross by a careless lunge from Michael Kayode, and Newcastle will have a chance to level it from the spot.
Caoimhin Kelleher save
Newcastle move the ball around the 18 and it’s Malick Thiaw who surprisingly steps into the mix to rifle a shot across goal. Caoimhin Kelleher makes an acrobatic save.
The corner s nodded just wide of the goal by Botman, who was bidding for a very rare brace.
Newcastle sub
Wissa’s day against his former club is over as William Osula steps into the fray with 26 minutes plus stoppage to play at St. James’ Park.
Brentford sub
Ex-Sunderland man Jordan Henderson is booed off the pitch by the Newcastle crowd as Yehor Yarmoliuk will look to provide a better more speed in the heart of the pitch.
Still 2-1 Brentford into the 57th minute.
Improved Magpies
Kieran Trippier sends Anthony Elanga into the 18, and the Swede returns the ball.
Trippier’s cross is to the back post and Harvey Barnes turns it toward goal but can’t direct it inside the post.
Eddie Howe make subs
Anthony Elanga and Nick Woltemade into the game for Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy at the break.
Halftime — Newcastle 1-2 Brentford
Eddie Howe’s men are booed as they leave the pitch down a goal.
Brentford have carved up the Magpies midfield and the backs have not bailed them out of danger.
Brentford the superior team at St. James’ Park.
Igor Thiago penalty — Newcastle 1-2 Brentford
It’s the big Brazilian to the spot against Nick Pope.
It’s perfect. 2-1.
Seventeen Premier League goals this season for Thiago, three off Erling Haaland’s Golden Boot lead.
Brentford penalty
The Bees cut through Newcastle so easily and Ouattara finds Mathias Jensen for a point-blank chance.
Jensen’s shot is blocked by the arm of Jacob Murphy, who is close range and his arm is close to his side.
Could go either way.
Vitaly Janelt goal — Newcastle 1-1 Brentford
Dango Ouattara whips in a terrific cross from the left and Botman slips on his leap to reach it.
Vitaly Janelt does not, powering a header past Pope and we’re level in the 37th minute.
Brentford stand tall
Lewis Hall has been bright and Newcastle have two bids at goal denied by Brentford blocks.
The second is a contortionist’s clearances from Vitaly Janelt on the line to keep it just 1-0 to the hosts.
Sven Botman goal — Newcastle 1-0 Brentford
Odd-looking finish but effective.
The Magpies have another corner and it’s swept into the heart of the box, where Dutch back Sven Botman rises high and sends a glancing header off the back of his dome off the ground and under the bar.
Magpies close off a corner
A corner kick is knocked to the front corner of the box, where Jacob Murphy tries his luck across goal.
The ball is headed through the feet of Harvey Barnes and the winger redirects it toward the near post only to see it drift just wide of the frame.
0-0, 16'.
Lively start as Bees cry for penalty
Harvey Barnes blazes just wide of the goal for Newcastle but Brentford are screaming for an incident at the other end of the pitch.
Keane Lewis-Potter was outside the box when Kieran Trippier grabbed his jersey, and Lewis-Potter then made the most of it a stride later after a heavy touch pushed the ball nearer to Magpies goalkeeper Nick Pope.
VAR is not coming to his aid.
Newcastle lineup
Pope, Trippier, Botman, Thiaw, Hall, Tonali, Guimaraes, Willock, Barnes, Wissa, Murphy
Brentford lineup
Kelleher, Henry, Ajer, Van den Berg, Kayode, Jensen, Henderson, Janelt, Lewis-Potter, Ouattara, Igor Thiago
Newcastle vs Brentford preview
Newcastle emerge beaten and battered by a run of four brutal fixtures as Brentford visit St. James’ Park on Saturday.
Eddie Howe’s Magpies have lost Premier League outings to Aston Villa and Liverpool, drew at PSG in the Champions League, and were beaten up by Man City at midweek to exit the League Cup. Newcastle’s 33 points are good for 11th on the table and they have to figure things out in a hurry if they want to stay in Europe next season (presuming they don’t surprise the Champions League with a first ever European Cup).
WATCH — Newcastle v Brentford
Brentford are three points clear of the Magpies, good for seventh on the cluttered Premier League table and just three points behind sixth-place Liverpool. The Bees rebounded from a two-match losing stop versus Chelsea and Nottingham Forest to win 1-0 at Aston Villa last time out and Keith Andrews’ crew are harboring hopes of a season weep of Newcastle after toppling the Magpies 3-1 in November at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Newcastle team news, focus
OUT: Anthony Gordon (thigh), Joelinton (thigh), Valentino Livramento (thigh), Fabian Schar (ankle), Emil Krafth (thigh) | QUESTIONABLE: Bruno Guimaraes (ankle), Lewis Miley (knee)
Brentford team news, focus
OUT: Kevin Schade (suspension), Antoni Milambo (knee), Fabio Carvalho (torn ACL), Josh Dasilva (knee)
Newcastle vs Brentford prediction
Igor Thiago and Dango Ouattara will have their moments but the Magpies will have more desperation — or at least they should after Howe’s men bombed out of their League Cup defense with a whimper. St. James’ Park is a bit of a tiebreaker, too. Newcastle 2-1 Brentford.
How to watch Newcastle vs Brentford live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 12:30pm ET Saturday
Venue: St. James’ Park — Newcastle-upon-Tyne
TV Channel: Peacock
Streaming: Stream live on Peacock
