Newcastle could not take their chance. Three points would have maintained the unbeaten start to the season, taken them to the top of the table for the evening, raised the growing optimism after a turbulent summer. Instead, they were made to rue a poor first-half display against a delightful Fulham frontline, goals from Raúl Jiménez, Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson securing a home victory.
The visitors never found their rhythm even if they set up a game for the second half, Harvey Barnes’s goal in the first minute after the restart making it 2-1. For the hosts, the worry was obvious: they had blown a lead last Saturday against West Ham through a late Danny Ings equaliser; would this be more of the same? But they hung on until Nelson’s goal in stoppage time, the substitute given an easy opportunity in the area after a wayward clearance from Bruno Guimarães.
Newcastle entered the encounter with an early-season narrative formed: points over performance, undefeated despite lacking a bit of sparkle. The main concern was whether Alexander Isak would feature due to eye and foot problems, but relief would have filled those making the trip down south after he was included in the XI. Fulham had a completely changed team from their midweek B-movie, The Shootout of Deepdale.
Newcastle landed the first major blow under the late summer sun – or so they thought. Joelinton was the goalscorer in the fifth minute, blasting in the rebound from his own effort after a cutback from Joe Willock on the left. Their joy was brief as the flag went up, misery kicking in moments later.
Jiménez was the starter and the finisher, finding Adama Traoré on the right before making his way into the box. The winger cut in to cross to Jiménez, lurking by the penalty spot but thinking and moving quicker than his marker, Fabian Schär. The chest took the ball down; the right foot, on the turn, waited for the bounce before lashing into the net.
Not long after, Fulham were building down the left, Alex Iwobi feeding Smith Rowe, who rattled the crossbar. The host attackers were bringing mayhem. Jiménez, the No 7, was all No 9, haranguing the centre-backs, forcing Nick Pope into a star-jump save in the 14th minute after Iwobi’s dinked ball over the top beat the reach of the leaping Dan Burn.
Later in the half Jiménez would launch over the bar from close range, every sinew put into getting on the end of a cross from the right. He outshone his counterpart, Isak.
Iwobi and Smith Rowe were electric, kindred spirits with some delightful interplay. Both are Arsenal products, both have that rolled-down-socks look that spells out flair. It was inevitable they would combine for the second, their one-two followed by Smith Rowe poking the ball through Burn’s legs and past Pope, the keeper’s left hand not strong enough, a 2-0 lead established in under 25 minutes. Something needed to change for Newcastle.
“With the first half I thought we were too reactive, Fulham played well, it was difficult for us, conceded a really poor first goal,” said Eddie Howe. “In the other games [this season] we haven’t been perfect but there’s been a real solidity and a resilience throughout the performances. Today, defensively wasn’t good enough.”
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Howe rung the changes at half-time and the impact was immediate as the visitors capitalised on an error from Joachim Andersen. Jacob Murphy, on for Willock, slid in the clinical Barnes, the in-form winger producing his third goal in three league games with a low finish after drifting in from the left.
Anxiety was now the overriding emotion for the home support and it grew when a wonderful chance for a third passed by, Pope saving brilliantly from Iwobi after Traore stood up a cross from the right.
Newcastle pressed on, finally feeling alive as Fulham began to falter. There was chaos in the 72nd minute, when Bernd Leno’s ball from goal was passed to a dozing Smith Rowe inside the box. Schär sensed an opportunity, dispossessing the attacker to set up what should have been the leveller. He met the side-netting.
The home fans would continue to live with an impending sense of doom until Nelson provided the sweet release.
