Newcastle United missed out on the chance to go top of the Premier League as their unbeaten start to the season came to an end with a 3-1 loss at Fulham.
The home side were deservedly 2-0 up at half-time after a dominant first-half showing in the Craven Cottage sunshine, taking an early lead thanks to Raul Jimenez’s excellent control and finish, just seconds after Joelinton had seen his effort ruled out for offside against Joe Willock.
The Cottagers doubled their advantage after 22 minutes as Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith-Rowe continued their excellent understanding from their time together at Arsenal as the duo exchanged passes down the left, before the England international surprised Nick Pope with a first-time shot that the Newcastle No 1 somehow let squirm through his grasp.
Fulham’s new club-record signing Smith-Rowe shone again in the first period and was unlucky not to have already scored when his rasping drive beat Pope, but not the bar, although the hosts did not get the third goal their pressure merited, allowing Newcastle back into the contest at the start of the second half.
In fact, right from the restart Jacob Murphy, on as one of two half-time substitutions as Eddie Howe rung the changes, found Harvey Barnes in space on the edge of the area, with the forward – who changed last Sunday’s game at Wolves when he came on – finding the far corner with a low shot.
Harvey Barnes celebrates after pulling a goal back for Newcastle at Fulham
Fulham really should have ended the game on the counter as Newcastle went all out in search of an equaliser, with Pope pulling off one extraordinary close-range reaction stop to deny Iwobi, before substitute Reiss Nelson did add a late third after another mistake, this time from skipper Bruno Guimaraes.
Story of the match in stats…
What the managers said
Fulham boss Marco Silva:
“It was a great goal from him [Jimenez]. It shows that when he’s confident like now he’s capable to do these situations.
“The turn, the rotation from him was top level and it was great. He also had a very good moment which was over the bar, it was tough for him to face big players like Dan Burn but he was fighting and helped the team.
“It was a good performance from him and it’s important for a striker to be scoring the goals.
“It was a deserved three points, great work from the lads and it was a great reaction from ourselves
“We wanted to show a reaction because we were not fortunate last week and what a reaction it was from ourselves.
“The first half was very good with the way we started and were dominant.”
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe:
“Today was the worst we’ve played. Especially in the first half, the second half was better.
“In the other games it’s not been perfect but there’s been solidity. But today, defensively, we were not good enough and we’re going to work to put it right.
“First half we were too reactive, Fulham played well but we conceded a poor first goal. It’s difficult to go away from home when you give them help and that first half was tough.
“But second half we responded well and chased the game effectively until the end. We need to reflect and analyse that.”
Are we now seeing the best of Jimenez again?
Analysis by Sky Sports’ Richard Morgan:
“Rodrigo Muniz was understandably chosen to lead Fulham’s line at the start of the season after his excellent form in front of goal in 2024, but that role has now gone to Jimenez after the former’s slow start to the campaign – and the Mexican looks determined to hold on to it.
“Everyone knows about the fractured skull the striker suffered while at Wolves three years ago and it has been a long road back for him, but gradually he looks to be returning to his best.
Raul Jimenez (right) looks like a striker reborn this season
“Jimenez was on target in the draw with West Ham last weekend and the 33-year-old was at it again against Newcastle, opening the scoring with a brilliantly taken effort as he took down Traore’s ball in from the right in one movement, before sweeping home a low shot for his eighth goal in just his last nine Premier League starts.
“His manager, Marco Silva, was purring in his praise of his frontman, noting what a key ingredient confidence is in any sportsman’s armour, with Jimenez now looking to make that striking role his for good.”
Will the real Newcastle please stand up
Nick Pope’s error gifted Newcastle their second goal
Newcastle headed to the capital looking to end the day sitting top of the Premier League having made their best start to a campaign since Kevin Keegan was in charge almost 30 years ago, but ended it with more questions than answers after what Howe called their worst performance of the season.
The visitors produced a strangely error-strewn display in west London, with Fulham’s second and third goals the result of poor individual mistakes from, of all people, normally reliable goalkeeper Pope and captain Guimaraes.
All of which begs the question: was this simply a one-off blip, or was their previous unbeaten run merely a mirage papering over more worrying, long-term cracks?
Howe would not be drawn on that after the match, saying every game is different, but we may find out more on Tuesday night when he takes his side to League Two high-flyers Wimbledon for a tricky-looking Carabao Cup third-round clash that the Magpies cannot afford to lose.
Opta stats – Fulham on fire
- Fulham have gained their first win against Newcastle in the Premier League since March 2014, having failed to defeat the Magpies in any of their last eight in the competition (D2 L6).
- Fulham’s Raul Jimenez has scored eight goals in his last nine Premier League starts, netting in consecutive league games for the first time since December 2023.
- Fulham’s Adama Traore has been directly involved in five goals (two goals, three assists) in his last six Premier League games, almost twice as many as he managed in his first 16 matches for the Cottagers in the competition (3).
