Newcastle vs Fulham result: Final score, goals, highlights and Premier League match report

For Newcastle it was a tale of three of their strikers and if calling them past, present and future is any oversimplification, the win came courtesy of the man who could lead the line for them well into the 2020s. The centre-forward’s cult may be stronger at St James’ Park than most, and the most expensive in Newcastle history scored a potentially priceless goal.

Alexander Isak is the club’s record signing and just his second goal at St James’ Park, four months and a serious hamstring injury after the first, meant he succeeded where Aleksandar Mitrovic and Callum Wilson failed and scored a legitimate goal , ending Fulham’s resistance. saved Newcastle from a third straight stalemate and put them above Manchester United in the table.

Wilson was his provider, clinging to Sean Longstaff’s cross, focusing on giving the substitute a tap-in and managing to make his contribution even as his personal drought extended to a seventh straight game. From one moment to the next, his wastage didn’t matter.

For Mitrovic, however, it completed an ill-fated return to Tyneside. The Serb’s career at Newcastle was so explosive that he brought the promise of the unpredictable back to St James’ Park. When it looked like he would end United’s unbeaten run, he instead found an unorthodox way to maintain par.

When his penalty flew past Nick Pope, Eddie Howe’s side looked set for a first Premier League defeat since August. But Newcastle didn’t slip: Mitrovic had lost his footing, made contact with the ball twice and his celebrations were cut short when Newcastle were awarded a free-kick.

At first it looked like Newcastle would be pardoned as Dan Burn went unpunished for grabbing Andreas Pereira’s arm before Kieran Trippier’s trip on Bobby Decordova-Reid went unnoticed. Not by VAR, however, and referee Robert Jones reviewed the incident and pointed to the spot. Upstairs came Mitrovic, but Fulham’s 100 percent record since the World Cup ended instead.

Seasons and fates can depend on such crazy occurrences. Newcastle have kept a clean sheet for the fifth consecutive Premier League game and Pope was otherwise unconcerned on a record-breaking day. A 14th consecutive top-flight unbeaten run equaled Newcastle’s longest run of the kind, set in 1950 and emulated by Alan Pardew’s side in 2011.

This team finished fifth, but the Class of 2023 remains on course for a better position, despite Wilson’s mistakes. He had the chances and a striker of his caliber should have converted one. Bernd Leno made two saves, each after the striker created an opportunity with a deft spin from a centre-back. He then went wide from two Trippier corners. A central defender got closer than he did: After an hour, Fabian Schar circled a free kick to the foot of the post. Allan Saint-Maximin, who came on as a substitute, missed the shot. Howe’s side showed more urgency and ambition and finally got their reward.

Perhaps their uneventful start wasn’t surprising. Newcastle have not conceded a goal in the first half of a league game since August and impressively when Fulham started Pope was not tested. The team sheet might have proved more notable than the early swap. Joelinton played three days after being charged with drunk driving; Howe has a steely pragmatism and the Brazilian is considered one of the lucky charms of his reign and that’s how he was chosen. Joelinton spent the first half on the left wing, the second in midfield and made more of an impact in the deeper role.

His versatility was particularly evident after the loss of Bruno Guimaraes, who ended the first half in tears. The strange element he played on for almost half an hour after apparently injuring his ankle stepping on Joao Palhinha’s foot. Hobbing around the center circle may not have helped his recovery.

Meanwhile, Fulham tried to inflict a different kind of pain. Their diligence and organization almost brought in a fourth goal since Christmas. A willingness to rack up bookings in their attempts to stop Newcastle showed this is not a soft touch. Thanks to their manager, they were almost successful. Marco Silva got his wingers to trade crosses with Willian, freshly returned to right flank from his starring role against his old club Chelsea, and Decordova-Reid, who won a penalty from his new position on left flank. It appeared to allow them to join Liverpool and Sheffield Wednesday in a select group that Newcastle had beaten that season. Instead, Mitrovic has been wrong, Isak has struck and the Champions League is looking increasingly likely for Newcastle.