Brentford stunned Newcastle with a late winner from Dango Ouattara, securing a hard-fought 3-2 victory at St. James' Park.
Brentford snatched a dramatic 3-2 victory at St. James' Park, with Dango Ouattara's late winner silencing the home crowd. Vitaly Janelt delivered a man-of-the-match performance, securing a pivotal win for the visitors.
Newcastle, sitting 11th, aimed to climb the Premier League table against 7th-placed Brentford. The Magpies sought consistency, while Brentford arrived with mixed recent form in a tightly contested league.
The home side began with purpose, and their pressure paid off in the 24th minute. Defender Sven Botman rose highest to powerfully head home a well-placed cross from Bruno Guimaraes, giving Newcastle the lead.
Brentford responded with growing confidence and found an equalizer in the 37th minute. Dango Ouattara provided a sharp assist, setting up Vitaly Janelt who fired past the Newcastle goalkeeper.
Just before the break, Newcastle's Josh Murphy received a yellow card for handling inside the box. Igor Thiago stepped up to convert the resulting penalty in the 45+2 minute, sending Brentford into half-time with a surprising 2-1 advantage.
Newcastle faced an uphill battle after conceding a late first-half penalty. Manager Eddie Howe needed a strategic shift to recover their footing and prevent Brentford from solidifying their lead.
Howe made immediate changes at half-time, introducing Nick Woltemade and Anthony Elanga to inject fresh impetus. Newcastle pushed hard for an equalizer, dominating the early second-half possession.
Their persistence eventually paid off. Newcastle earned a penalty of their own in the 79th minute, and Bruno Guimaraes calmly dispatched it. The Brazilian midfielder levelled the score, reigniting the St. James' Park faithful.
However, Brentford immediately struck back, stunning the home crowd once more. Dango Ouattara netted what proved to be the winning goal in the 85th minute, guiding home a precise pass from Mathias Jensen.
The match concluded with frantic late exchanges, including yellow cards for Brentford's Vitaly Janelt and Newcastle's Lewis Hall. Newcastle pressed intensely, but could not find a third equaliser.
Newcastle finished the game with 54% possession and 16 total shots, but only 4 hit the target, underperforming their 2.25 expected goals (xG). Brentford proved more clinical, scoring 3 goals from just 10 shots (5 on target) against an xG of 1.81.
This dramatic defeat keeps Newcastle in 11th place, missing a crucial chance to close the gap on European qualification spots. Brentford strengthens their 7th position, continuing their impressive push in the Premier League table.
