Newcastle United ended their four-game winless run in the Premier League as they beat Brighton and Hove Albion 3-1 to dent the Seagulls’ European ambitions and banish any lingering relegation worries for the Magpies.
After four successive losses by a single goal, Newcastle desperately needed to stop the rot, with their advantage over third-bottom Tottenham a not entirely comfortable eight points and manager Eddie Howe under pressure.
They made an unconvincing start, with Nick Pope producing a fine save to deny Jack Hinshelwood and the impressive Carlos Baleba hitting the crossbar for Brighton.
Will Osula then curled wide at the other end, before the in-form Dane was gifted the opening goal by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen in the 12th minute, who slipped as he left his box to chase down a long ball down the right by Bruno Guimaraes, taking down Jacob Murphy in the process.
Murphy collected himself and crossed for Osula, who nodded into an empty net.
Twelve minutes later, former Brighton defender Dan Burn doubled the lead, heading home superbly from Guimaraes’ corner.
Brighton almost pulled one back in comical fashion as a Pope clearance was blocked onto the post by Hinshelwood, before Verbruggen denied Joe Willock and Malick Thiaw with fine saves.
The visitors frayed the nerves at St James’ Park as Hinshelwood rattled home after an excellent Brighton move just after the hour mark.
Fabian Hurzeler’s men looked the more likely to score the fourth goal thereafter, Charalampos Kostoulas’ overhead kick kept out by Pope before Yankuba Minteh, sold by Newcastle to comply with PSR regulations in 2024, blazed over the bar from point-blank range.
Substitute Yoane Wissa was guilty of a similar miss at the other end from Lewis Hall’s left-wing cross, before returning Newcastle midfielder Joelinton fired wide at the end of a brilliant run.
Newcastle finally put the game to bed in stoppage time. Wissa failed to round Verbruggen after Jan Paul van Hecke had gifted him possession, but the ball fell to Harvey Barnes, who wrong footed the keeper and lashed home.
Howe’s men are 11 points above the bottom three and still have an outside shot at Europe. Brighton drop from sixth to seventh courtesy of Brentford’s win over West Ham, with Newcastle only five points behind them.
Ten-man Sunderland held by Wolves
Newcastle are two points behind their local rivals Sunderland, who were held to a 1-1 draw by relegated bottom club Wolves.
Nordi Mukiele put Sunderland in front in the 17th minute when he headed home Granit Xhaka’s cross, but seven minutes later the Black Cats were reduced to 10 men, with Dan Ballard seeing red following a VAR review for pulling Tolu Arokodare’s hair.
Wolves eventually took advantage to earn a share of the spoils, Santiago Bueno heading in namesake Hugo Bueno’s corner at the back post.
