Newcastle United defeated Nottingham Forest 4-3 at St James’ Park, despite almost securing a draw from defeat.
Newcastle United led 4-1 at halftime on Sunday following a 14-minute quadruple salvo that turned a one-goal deficit into a three-goal lead. Lewis Miley, Jacob Murphy, and Alexander Isak all scored in the opening 45 minutes, apparently securing the Magpies’ victory.
However, Nicola Milenkovic’s strike shortly after the hour mark drew Forest within two goals of their opponents, before Ryan Yates’ 90th-minute effort narrowed the difference to a single goal. Fortunately, Eddie Howe’s men held on for their first Premier League win at home since January 15.
Speaking to BBC Radio Five Live after the game, Howe remarked on his team’s poor second half: “I’m trying to control my thoughts and stay positive,” United’s head coach added.
“We won the game, and that was all we needed to do. I thought we had a wonderful first half and were everything we weren’t at Manchester City. We didn’t handle the game well, but we’re satisfied with the victory.
“It was always a difficult game, and when they took the lead early on, you knew you were up against it. I thought we were terrific with the ball and looked dynamic, but a number of flaws emerged in terms of defending set plays. When you win and have room for improvement, it’s a good place to start. That is what I will take away from today.
“We may reflect on those 45 minutes and identify areas where we can improve. “We take pride in doing better and getting the details right.”
Following a scorching first half in which they scored four goals in 14 minutes, a slowing of the pace was unavoidable in the second session. With Liverpool coming up next on Wednesday, just over 76 hours after Jarred Gillett blew his full-time whistle at St James’ Park, Howe’s emphasis was always going to be on limiting his players’ minutes.
However, as the tension dropped in the second half, so did Newcastle’s control of the game, as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side began to believe they could stage a remarkable comeback. The majority of those inside St James’ Park were relieved to hear the full-time whistle, including Alan Shearer.
Shearer took to X post-match and wrote: ‘Pheewwwwwww!!!! #NEWNOT’.
As previously stated, Newcastle will now have a brief period of recovery before travelling to Merseyside to face league leaders Liverpool in what is being described as a dress rehearsal for their Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium next month. The Magpies haven’t won a Premier League game at Anfield in nearly three decades, a streak they will be eager to break on Wednesday night.
