Newcastle United Beat Brighton 3-1 As Eddie Howe Sees Pressure Ease

Newcastle United earned a vital 3-1 Premier League victory over Brighton at St. James' Park, ending a four-game league losing streak. Eddie Howe's side overcame Brighton's strong start, scored twice in the first half, survived heavy pressure after the break, and then secured the points with a stoppage-time goal.

William Osula opened the scoring after capitalising on Bart Verbruggen's mistake, before Dan Burn doubled the lead from a corner. Jack Hinshelwood pulled one back after half-time, but Harvey Barnes struck in the 95th minute to confirm Newcastle United's first Premier League win since March.

Brighton started on the front foot and almost led inside two minutes when Karou Mitoma slipped in Jack Hinshelwood, but Nick Pope spread wide to block. Carlos Baleba then tried his luck from distance, with a powerful effort that crashed against the crossbar, underlining Brighton's early control of possession and territory.

That dominance counted for nothing when Bart Verbruggen slipped near the right touchline and lost the ball to Jacob Murphy, whose cross found William Osula to head into an empty net on 12 minutes. Newcastle United struck again on 24 minutes, as Bruno Guimaraes' whipped corner was glanced in by Dan Burn, who had peeled cleverly away from his marker.

Brighton almost replied before the break when a poor Nick Pope clearance struck Hinshelwood and bounced against the post, with Newcastle United relieved to see the ball stay out. Verbruggen then produced a sharp reaction save from Malick Thiaw at close range, preventing a third goal that would have left Brighton with a mountain to climb.

After half-time, Brighton continued to threaten, with Hinshelwood heading narrowly over from a corner as Newcastle United sat deeper. The midfielder finally found the net on 61 minutes, collecting a threaded pass from Danny Welbeck before rifling a fierce strike into the roof of the goal. Newcastle United then conceded more of the ball, forcing Pope to save an overhead kick from Charalampos Kostoulas, while substitute Yankuba Minteh missed badly from close range with two minutes left. Brighton pushed numbers forward late on, leaving space for a counter-attack that allowed Harvey Barnes to break clear and smash home in the 95th minute.

The victory again highlighted William Osula's growing influence in Newcastle United's Premier League attack. Osula has now scored four league goals since the start of March, a run that places the forward among the division's most productive players in that spell, behind only Nottingham Forest attacker Morgan Gibbs-White.

Bart Verbruggen's error for the opening goal proved costly for Brighton, especially after such a positive start. Verbruggen now has four mistakes leading directly to goals in this Premier League season, more than any other player. Since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign, that total rises to 11, which is four more than any other player in the competition.

This match brought up Bruno Guimaraes' 150th Premier League appearance for Newcastle United, and the midfielder marked it with his 25th assist for the club. Guimaraes has now reached at least five goals and five assists in each of the last three league seasons, joining Mohamed Salah, Bruno Fernandes and Jarrod Bowen as the only players to achieve that feat.

The result halts Newcastle United's poor league run and restores some momentum after four straight Premier League defeats, while Brighton are left to reflect on missed chances and another decisive mistake from Bart Verbruggen. The performance of Jack Hinshelwood offered encouragement for Brighton, but Newcastle United's greater efficiency at key moments settled the contest.