Eddie Howe reflects on Saturday and Brighton 2 Newcastle 1 | OneFootball

Eddie Howe watched on as the game ended Brighton 1 Newcastle 2.

United starting the game well but Brighton soon on top in a first half where Newcastle rarely threatened.

Eddie Howe quick to make changes with Newcastle trailing to Welbeck’s quality finish, Miley and Murphy replacing Joelinton and Elanga at half-time.

That helped kick off an improvement and Newcastle the better side in the second half, much more of an attacking threat than the hosts.

When the fresh legs of Barnes and Ramsey were added with 20 minutes to go, United continued in the ascendancy and when Woltemade tucked away that superb flick on 76 minutes, completing the turnaround looked very much on.

Brighton desperately hanging on as United forced corners and created chances, the home side got a break in more ways than one. As they counter-attacked and when the ball kindly fell for Welbeck after Burn made a great block, the Brighton striker producing his second and match winning quality finish.

Eddie Howe reflecting on Brighton 1 Newcastle 2 and asked about his team selection, keeping the same eleven that had defeated Union S-G and Forest despite some United players facing long trips for the internationals, whether with reflection changes should have been made:

“If you are talking about Joelinton and Bruno….

“They would be the two who could have been left out [having travelled to South Korea and Japan, then back to Tyneside].

“But Lewis Miley had not trained for two weeks and Jacob Ramsey is back from a long lay-off.

“So they are difficult players to bring in, because they are arguably not one hundred per cent match fit either.

“So we made the decision to go with the two lads who had done the travelling.

“Bruno had a much better second half than he did first, so maybe that is not just fatigue [to blame for a poor first half].

“We were much better with the changes in the second half, a much brighter second half display.

“A tough result for us.

I don’t think we played well for half an hour of that first half, we made a bright start to that first half and looked in a good place initially, then we fell away.

“We were loose on the ball in that first period and ended up being in transition an awful lot.

“I wasn’t happy with the first half and I think it was a time to try and shake the team up [at the break], to try and get new energy onto the pitch.

“Different players with different qualities and I thought the team benefited.

“We didn’t play with our normal clarity on the ball [in that first half] and much better in the second half, much more like ourselves.

“In the end we were really disappointed to lose.”

Eddie Howe on the match winning goal for Brighton:

“It is a big moment.

“We are chasing the winner, we feel we are the better team in that moment in the game, we are chasing the goal, we want to win games.

“Our midfield line gets penetrated and the ball ricochets to Welbeck. He finishes it very well but we are disappointed with the two goals conceded.”

Eddie Howe on the first choice Newcastle midfield trio who started the match:

“They are brilliant players but they didn’t function well today…but I don’t think the team did.

“When we conceded the second [Brighton] goal, we were the dominant team.

“We responded really well in the second half.

“They didn’t have many attacks in that spell but they did go and score.”

Eddie Howe on the lack of goals in the Premier League so far this season:

“That is a concern for us.

“We can’t rely on one individual.

“We have always historically been a team that scores a lot of goals from different areas and we have never been reliant on any one player.

“Nick has done really well and we are delighted with him but we want more from other areas of the team.

“I thought there were chances there for us today, especially in the second half.

“I thought it was a good attacking display, albeit we weren’t clinical enough.”

Eddie Howe on Anthony Elanga:

“We need more from everybody.

“It is never just about one player.

“Anthony is going to be a great player for this football club and I have no doubt about that.

“Some players need a little bit more time and extra support, something to happen positively to kick off, but he has all the attributes to do really well here.

“So I have no issues or worries about him.”

Eddie Howe on Nick Woltemade:

“There is a level of expectation there because we have signed a very good player, a lot to take on with a new league and a new lifestyle but he has taken that on very well.”

Brighton 2 Newcastle 1 – Saturday 18 October 2025 3pm

(Stats via BBC Sport)

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Woltemade 76

Brighton:

Welbeck 41, 85

Possession was Newcastle 54% Brighton 46%

Total shots were Newcastle 16 Brighton 13

Shots on target were Newcastle 3 Brighton 5

Corners were Newcastle 4 Brighton 8

Touches in the box Newcastle 25 Brighton 29

Newcastle team v Brighton:

Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Bruno (Osula 86), Joelinton (Miley 46), Tonali (Ramsey 70), Gordon (Barnes 70), Woltemade, Elanga (Murphy 46)

Unused subs:

Ramsdale, Krafth, Willock, Schar

(Newcastle United losing to the likes of Brighton…Read HERE)