Match Report
Newcastle United (1) 0-2 (0) Fulham
Premiership Match Day 24 24/25 at St. James' Park
Saturday 1st February 2025 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire)
|
A phenomenal second half performance saw Fulham come from behind to defeat Newcastle United 2-1 at St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon.
A difficult first 45 in which we didn’t manage to have a shot on target had us trailing to Jacob Murphy’s crisp strike, but it was a different story after the break, with the Whites taking total control of proceedings.
Raul Jimenez started and finished the move that got us level, side footing home a half volley that clipped Murphy on its way through.
And then two substitutes combined to secure the points when Rodrigo Muniz got a slight but vital touch on Andreas Pereira’s free-kick.
There was one enforced change from the side that began the Manchester United defeat, with Adama Traore coming in for the unfortunate Harry Wilson, who faces a number of months on the sidelines.
Both sides approached the game with an attacking mindset, but that didn’t lead to a glut of goalmouth action in the opening stages, with off target efforts from Bruno Guimaraes and Raul the only attempts in the first quarter of the game.
Murphy and Anthony Gordon were lively customers on the Newcastle flanks, but their respective efforts were wild when they each managed to fashion half a sight of goal from distance.
The best chance actually came when adventurous centre-back Fabian Schar marauded forward on 28 minutes, poking goalwards from Guimaraes’ cute pass, but Bernd Leno read it and smothered.
Leno soon went from denying attacks to supplying them, picking out Raul with a fine pass over the shoulder of the last man, but our number seven’s cut with the outside of his boot could find neither goal nor teammate.
The momentum was swinging our way, though, with Adama then beating his man in the air to meet Alex Iwobi’s hanging cross, only to send his header wide of the far post.
That said, Sandro Tonali was very unfortunate not to break the deadlock with the game’s next attack, seeing his thunderbolt from 30 yards smash off the crossbar.
But the home side weren’t far off breaking the deadlock. Gordon managed to roll Timothy Castagne and burst past Joachim Andersen on the right flank before sending in a low cross that took a nick off Calvin Bassey. That touch allowed the ball to drop perfectly for Murphy, who made no mistake with his composed finish.
Match Stats |
Newcastle United |
Fulham |
Goals |
(1) 1 |
2 (0) |
|
Scorers |
Murphy 37 |
Jimenez 61 |
|
- |
Muniz 82 |
 , |
Goal attempts |
11 |
15 |
On target |
4 |
4 |
Shooting Accuracy |
36% |
27% |
Possession |
47% |
53% |
Passes |
388 |
428 |
Passes Success |
81% |
82% |
Corners |
4 |
7 |
Tackles |
7 |
19 |
Tackles Success |
29% |
74% |
Saves |
2 |
3 |
Fouls |
10 |
15 |
Offsides |
4 |
0 |
Yellows |
4 |
4 |
Reds |
0 |
0 |
source: SkySports |
Despite a positive response from Fulham, it could have been 2-0 soon after had Leno not saved well from Tino Livramento with his right boot.
The Whites – wearing the purple third strip for the first time – began the second half with purpose, with Adama having a shot blocked and Sander Berge testing Martin Dubravka, both within the first minute.
That was a fairly routine stop for Dubravka, but his next was far more impressive two minutes later. After Fulham won the ball just inside the United half, Emile Smith Rowe dribbled forwards determinedly and drilled a left-footer towards the far post from the edge of the box – Dubravka pushing it away at full stretch.
Bassey then headed Adama’s cross over and Dan Burn deflected Raúl’s shot marginally wide as we continued to turn the screw.
Raul’s movement was proving fruitful, and he met two Saša Lukic corners in quick succession as the hour mark approached, the first hit Tonali to take it away from goal, and the second he headed over.
An equaliser seemed imminent, and it arrived courtesy of a beautiful move. Raul started and finished it, intercepting a pass 30 yards from his own goal and driving forwards. The ball was worked to Adama who clipped over to Antonee Robinson at the far post, whose cushioned cross was half volleyed in by Raul, via a deflection off Murphy.
Fulham had been the dominant force since the restart, but there were two hairy moments following the equaliser. First, substitute Joe Willock failed to connect when found in space six yards from goal, and then Alexander Isak rattled the crossbar with a lovely curling effort.
Marco Silva had introduced Andreas and Muniz to try and get our noses in front, and with eight minutes to play the Brazilian duo combined to do just that. Andreas swung his wide free-kick into a dangerous near post area, picking out the run of Muniz who got the deftest of touches to send the ball beyond Dubravka.
As was the case with Fulham in the first half, Newcastle failed to register an effort on target in the second, with a Lloyd Kelly header over the bar the closest they came to restoring parity, as the lads defended valiantly to secure a first Premier League win at St James’ Park since 2009.
Newcastle United: Dubravka, Livramento (Trippier 64), Schar, Burn, Hall (Kelly 87), Guimaraes (Miley 87), Tonali, Joelinton (Willock 64), J Murphy (Osula 87), Isak, Gordon
Unused substitutes: Botman, Krafth, Pope, Longstaff
Goals:
J Murphy 37 (NEWCASTLE HAVE THE BREAKTHROUGH! Murphy hammers home from close range as Gordon's cross finds him at the back post!
Gordon's cross from the left took a deflection which found Murphy unmarked and he makes no mistake to power Newcastle ahead!)
Yellow Card: Joelinton (45-2,f), Tonali (78,f), Gordon (81,arg), Leno (90+2,tw)
Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Lukic, Berge, Traore (Diop 88), Smith Rowe (Pereira 72), Iwobi (Sessegnon 79), Jimenez (Muniz 73)
Unused substitutes: Reed, Cairney, Benda, King, Godo
Goals:
Jimenez 61 (IT HAD BEEN COMING! Totally deserved equaliser for Fulham as Jimenez strikes!
Traore finds Robinson at the back post and he finds Jimenez first time inside the box, with his shot taking a deflection off Murphy to wrongfoot Dubravka and find the back of the net.
Fulham have been a different team in this second half!)
Muniz 82 (FULHAM TAKE THE LEAD! THEY'VE TURNED IT AROUND! Muniz is there at the front post with a deft finish from Periera's free-kick!
The visitors stun Newcastle!)
Yellow Card: Andersen (17,f), Robinson (20,f), Pereira (84,f), Leno (93,tw)
Referee:
Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire)
Attendance: 52,173
Fulham are next in action at
15.00 next Sunday, 8th February, when they face Wigan Athletic in the 4th round of the F.A. Cup at The Brick Community Stadium.