Newcastle United fought back to win at the City Ground again on Sunday, beating high-flying Nottingham Forest 3-1 with a ruthless second-half display.
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The Magpies had defeated Forest away from home in each of the previous two seasons, but Nuno Espirito Santo's hosts, who were seeking to extend their three-match winning run, took the lead when Murillo nodded in his first career goal.
That opener was arguably harsh on Newcastle, though, and a deserved equaliser arrived nine minutes after half-time as Alexander Isak scored in a fourth consecutive match in all competitions.
Isak, who netted twice in a 2-1 win at Forest in March 2023, then turned provider for the second goal as Joelinton brilliantly beat Matz Sels, before substitute Harvey Barnes broke away to net the third.
Another victory, following on from last week's win against Arsenal, lifts Newcastle to within a point of Forest, who drop to fifth following Chelsea's 1-1 draw with the Gunners.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
15 | +18 | 36 |
| 2 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
17 | +18 | 35 |
| 3 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
17 | +18 | 33 |
| 4 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
17 | +4 | 31 |
| 5 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
17 | +4 | 28 |
How the match unfolded
Newcastle might have scored first when Anthony Gordon blazed over, but Forest led against the run of play after 21 minutes as Murillo was left completely unmarked from a free-kick to nod past Nick Pope.
The first half continued in the same vein, with Newcastle well on top and testing Sels through Bruno Guimaraes and Dan Burn, but looking vulnerable to the counter.
One of those situations almost saw Nicolas Dominguez double Forest's lead early in the second half, yet instead Newcastle were level as a scramble from a corner fell for Isak to sweep in.
That allowed Newcastle to give Forest a taste of their own medicine, playing on the break, and although Isak volleyed agonisingly wide, the goalscorer then teed up Joelinton, who curled an outstanding effort home via the left-hand post.
Another clinical counter made sure of the points seven minutes from time, with Barnes, on for the injured Gordon, cutting inside from the left and firing beyond Sels.
Backs to the wall for Forest
Forest had won three in a row against sides in the bottom half, but this was a sobering indication of what might be to come at the start of a tough run of fixtures.
This was the first of six encounters with teams who finished in last season's top eight in the space of their next eight matches, also facing Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa before hosting Tottenham Hotspur on Boxing Day.
Forest perhaps would have hoped to recreate their 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield when they took the lead through Murillo, the centre-back recently called up to the Brazil squad for the first time, working hard to protect that advantage in the first half.
But teams with the quality of Newcastle can afford to stay patient in the face of such frustration, and they were good value for the leveller, after which the league's second-best defence suddenly looked a little vulnerable.
Arsenal are up next for Forest after the international break, by which time Nuno will hope his defenders are refreshed and ready for a testing schedule.
Howe finds winning formula
Newcastle lacked balance during a five-match winless run in the Premier League across September and October, largely performing well but wasting chances at one end while leaving themselves open at the other.
Eddie Howe responded by reverting to a set-up widely used in the 2022/23 season, moving Joelinton into the forward line and bolstering the midfield, and he was rewarded with victories over Chelsea in the EFL Cup and Arsenal in the league.
It was no surprise then that the Newcastle boss named an unchanged XI at the City Ground, and the outcome was much the same. Only a cheap opening goal from a set-piece marred what was a brilliant away display.
Most encouraging for Howe would have been the contributions from out wide. Newcastle are short of natural right wingers, but both Gordon and Joelinton fulfilled that role against Forest, with the latter netting a vital goal.
The introduction of Barnes from the bench showed the depth of options on the left, and he scored one and might have had another in the closing seconds as Newcastle were ultimately comfortable against previously inspired opposition.
Club reports
Forest report | Newcastle report
What the managers said
Nuno Espirito Santo: "We have to give credit to Newcastle because they were a good team who were able to control us and punish us. They are a very good team and a tough team to play against, Eddie Howe is a very talented manager and they have talented players."
Eddie Howe: "We needed some momentum. We always say how quickly football can change and your fortunes can turn. So three wins and there is a totally different feel about the team. I'm really pleased today because an away game, going 1-0 down to come back and win in the way that we did, I think is a big moment for us."
Next Premier League fixtures
Key facts
Nottingham Forest lost a Premier League match in which they scored first for the first time since January last season against Brentford, ending a 13-game unbeaten run when going 1-0 ahead (W8 D5).
Newcastle have won two of the five Premier League away games in which they have conceded first this season (D1 L2), as many as they won after falling 1-0 behind on the road in the competition in 2022/23 and 2023/24 combined.
Newcastle United have won three successive games in all competitions for the first time since October 2023, when they won four in a row.