Newcastle level with Brentford in ‘points chucked away’ table as Leverkusen prey on shocking weakness | OneFootball

“You have to stand up and be counted and we didn’t do it well enough,” Eddie Howe said following Newcastle’s 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

After Anthony Gordon played a starring role in dragging Newcastle back into the game after Bruno Guimaraes’ own goal, scoring a penalty to draw them level before delivering an outstanding cross for Lewis Miley to head in, the Magpies shipped yet another late goal as Leverkusen sliced through their defence and Alejandro Grimaldo finished under Aaron Ramsdale.

When asked if his side are ruining their chances of a successful season with late defensive lapses, Howe said: “I can’t disagree. I think we have work to do.

“There are positive signs. But there are still some moments where we shoot ourselves in the foot to a degree, and that was there again last night. I know it is a frustration. Not just for me, for the players and for everybody. We are costing ourselves at the moment.”

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero scored a dramatic, undeserved equaliser last Tuesday and Newcastle so nearly crumbled from a position of comfort against 10-man Burnley four days later when substitute Josh Laurent narrowly headed wide in the last act of the game after Zian Flemming set up a nervy finish with a stoppage-time penalty to make it 2-1.

“It all comes back to mentality,” goalscorer Anthony Gordon told TNT Sports. “We have to hold out in these games because that is what top teams do.”

Newcastle have now conceded nine goals in the final 10 minutes of games in all competitions this season. Only Nottingham Forest have conceded more among Premier League sides.

They have failed to win four of their past five away games in all competitions despite taking the lead in all of them at some stage.

No side has conceded more than their six goals in stoppage time in the Premier League this season and they’re level with Brentford at the top of the ‘points dropped from winning positions’ table. Those 11 points are the difference between their current 12th-placed spot in the Premier League and the top of the table with Arsenal.

“I don’t think it’s ever a case of sitting back and absorbing pressure,” Howe added.

“That’s not number one in our aim, but you need to do whatever it takes to win. Sometimes that is par for the course, that’s what you have to do.”

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Newcastle sit 12th in the Champions League table, on course for at least a play-off spot and only a couple of points off automatic qualification ahead of the visit of PSV and a trip to the Parcs des Princes a week later to take on holders PSG.

“It leaves us in a good position – it’s in our hands,” Howe said.

“We have two tough games to come but we’ll look forward to playing at home and then, of course, a really tough one at the end which we knew was always there.”