Newcastle’s allergy to being in front remains an irritation Eddie Howe must remedy in the new year, but at least his team signed off from 2025 with just a second Premier League away win of the season – even if only just.
This should have been far easier after two goals inside seven minutes, especially against opponents drifting back to the Championship and who had taken just one point from 15 at home.
Come the end, Burnley boss Scott Parker was left to rue not one point dropped, but a possible three.
His side sensed fragility and recovered to halve the visiting lead before pressing for what would have been deserved parity. It was not until Bruno Guimaraes made it 3-1 in the 93rd minute that the outcome ever felt certain.
A win it was, but the nervy nature of it does not suggest the progress needed to rejoin the top five. Howe, though, preferred to focus on the result.
‘It was a massive win for us and I don’t think it really matters in terms of how we did it, we just needed to do it,’ he said.
Newcastle United recorded only their second Premier League away win this season at Burnley
Newcastle took the lead when Joelinton’s (second left) header went in after two minutes
Yoane Wissa (centre) scored his first Newcastle league goal with this close-range shot
‘In an ideal world we go on and control the game. But maybe we’re not in that psychological moment. That will only come from winning games, which is why this was so important.’
Howe prickled in a pre-match interview when the energy of his team was questioned.
He duly returned to the dressing-room and sent them out fizzed up with an instruction to attack with verve from the off. What followed were two quick-fire goals, the first after 65 seconds when Joelinton hooked in from Anthony Gordon’s deflected cross.
Yoane Wissa stabbed a second from close range and the visitors, according to the scoreboard, were in control. Except, this version of Newcastle are rarely in control.
No top-flight team has lost more than their 13 points from winning positions this season. Rather than chess, they play basketball. Very quickly they were coughing up possession and chances – the choke was on, again.
Burnley defender Josh Laurent volleyed a brilliant response in the 23rd minute and only a goal-line clearance by Fabian Schar, denying Marcus Edwards, preserved the Newcastle lead entering half-time. It was Nick Pope who picked up the baton of resistance after the break and come the hour he had saved from Loum Tchaouna, Edwards and Lucas Pires.
By now, Newcastle’s midfield was being played around and through and the front three of Gordon, Wissa ands Harvey Barnes had ceased to impact. Gordon skied one effort when a calmer finish for 3-1 would have killed the home spirit.
Burnley’s belief was aided by the post-Christmas generosity of Newcastle, for whom the ball was the hottest of potatoes on the coldest of Lancashire nights.
Burnley halved the deficit when Josh Laurent scored this superb strike on 23 minutes
Newcastle sealed their win in second-half stoppage-time via Bruno Guimaraes (centre right)
Only in stoppage-time, after a mix-up between Burnley keeper Martin Dubravka and Hjalmar Ekdal, did Guimaraes show some belated cool and lobbed into an empty net from 25 yards.
It was a relief for Howe, but not yet a cure.
