Newcastle 1-2 Brighton (Isak 22′ pen, Gordon 83′ red | Minteh 44′, Welbeck 114′, Lamptey 90+1′ red)
ST JAMES’ PARK – Having acknowledged that they got too drawn into the emotion the last time they made Wembley for the Carabao Cup final, Newcastle United’s plan was to keep things low-key leading up to their date with Liverpool. So much for that.
Eddie Howe has consistently denied that Wembley is the cause of his team’s maddening recent inconsistency but something about that game seems to be scrambling synapses at St James’ Park, where a season that was promising so much is in serious danger of hitting the skids.
How else to explain the confounding, kamikaze nature of this defeat and the inexplicable moment Anthony Gordon saw red after seeing red?
The Newcastle winger – desperately out of form but still one of their blue riband, big game performers – was sent off for shoving Jan Paul van Hecke in a fit of pique that arrived after a performance pockmarked with careless passes and aimless sprints into cul-de-sacs.
Gordon’s reaction – raising his hands to Van Hecke to clearly push the back of his head – was a moment of madness that might come to define his season.
To make it worse the offside flag had been raised, emphasising the utter pointlessness of his petulance.
Almost as soon as van Hecke hit the deck, silence descended on the stadium.
Anthony Taylor was having one of those days but there was little alternative but to brandish a red card, a nightmare for Newcastle in the context of a close game but a disaster with Wembley just days away.
No-one inside St James’ Park needed to be reminded that the automatic three-match ban means he now misses the final.
Anthony Gordon has been sent off! 🟥#ITVFootball | #NEWBHA pic.twitter.com/uJ4WJTIwDE
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 2, 2025
It has been like this for weeks at Newcastle, where even a precious Premier League win against Nottingham Forest seven days ago felt like a defeat.
Howe hated the way his team lost control in that second half so you can imagine what he was going through seeing his side dicing with death for long periods against a bright Brighton side who inevitably eventually accepted one of the invitations to win it that Newcastle gave them.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side are a bright, bustling team who are worldly wise despite the relative youth of their starting XI.
They preyed on Newcastle nerves, disrupting the home side’s gameplan while also laying the foundations for the win with some magnificent counter-attacking football.
But it was difficult to escape the conclusion that Newcastle were largely architects of their own downfall here.
It had started fairly brightly for the home side, who edged in front when Alexander Isak – back in the starting XI – swept home a penalty after Yankuba Minteh’s clumsy foul on Tino Livramento.
After a disjointed start they began to find some rhythm as Isak eased through the gears, seeing a wonderful second goal ruled off for a tight offside call.
But it was a brittle dominance and Newcastle since the turn of the year have made a habit of losing their way.
That recklessness allowed Brighton a route back into the contest which they took when Minteh – escaping the attention of his marker Gordon – dispatched via a hefty deflection from Kieran Trippier.
What followed was chaos. Gordon’s dismissal was followed by a second yellow card for Tariq Lamptey and then a 93rd-minute Fabian Schar volley that was ruled out after a lengthy VAR check.
The deflation after that summed up the mood on Tyneside.
By then Hurzeler had sent on Danny Welbeck, the veteran striker who has a fine record of breaking black and white hearts.
That he did it again – deep into the second half of extra time, just as Newcastle were building a head of steam – was a testament to his durability and quality.
Brighton now look well-placed to compete for their first major honour, hitting form at just the right time as they move into the last eight of an FA Cup that looks wide open.
Hurzeler felt it was a reward for his players doing the “basics” right, working hard even when making mistakes.
For all that he praised the effort of his players afterwards, Howe must wish his team had the same knack of pushing through moments of difficulty.
“Stuttering is a good way to put it,” the Magpies boss said afterwards when asked about recent form.
It feels like the season is teetering on the brink.
Comments
Leave a Comment