That’s it for today. I’ll leave you with Louise Taylor’s report from St James’ Park – happy new year to one and all.
Post-match reaction
Chris Wood
It’s fantastic. It’s hopefully what we deserved, I think we played extremely well. The boys were on fire and it’s nice to get that winning feeling back; it’s been a long time.
[The second goal wasn’t a typical Chris Wood goal] That’s a bit harsh! Ants [Anthony Elanga] did all the hard work and played me in. Look, I’m happy to stick them away – that’s what I’m there to do. The team was fantastic and put it on a plate for me; I couldn’t have done it without the boys.
Morgan Gibbs-White
We’ve been talking about creating our own identity in the way we want to play and the manager wants us to play: being comfortable on the ball, forward-thinking, deep passes. I think the boys showcased that today, especially in the second half. Fair play to the big man, he scored three incredible goals.
It’s been a massive positive [knowing Nuno from Wolves] because I know his style and how he wants to play. I’ve tried to help the boys in that sense.
“Howe probably shouldn’t be fired, but he’s got a huge problem to address,” says Sean Orlowicz. “The squad clearly can’t sustain the super high tempo that made them so successful, and they can’t seem to win without playing that high tempo.”
Isn’t that mainly because of an abnormal injury list? Most of them look shattered physically and mentally. It also wouldn’t surprise me if one or two of the players who have recently returned aren’t fully fit.
As a neutral I think it would be crazy to sack him, but it won’t shock me if it happens next month because they could easily lose the next three league games.
There are two 3pm games in the Premier League, plus the usual Football League business. There’s no better man to keep you abreast of the action than Barry Glendenning.
Chris Wood stole the show with a clinical hat-trick against his old club. Anthony Elanga was also outstanding, a constant menace on the break. Newcastle started well enough and took the lead through Alexander Isak; but in the second half they faded dreadfully. It’s no more than a blip, although that won’t be much consolation right now.
Full time: Newcastle 1-3 Nottm Forest
Peep peep! Forest jump above Everton after an outstanding victory at St James’ Park. There are a few boos at the final whistle, though they are soon drowned out by a delirious away end.
90+6 min Newcastle are having a bit of a late flurry. Livramento’s excellent volleyed cross takes Turner out of the game, but Worrall gets in front of Wilson to head behind for a corner. That was a goal-saving intervention.
90+5 min Joelinton’s low cross is half cleared to Gordon, whose snapvolley is blocked, possibly by his teammate Wilson.
90+3 min Isak has a shot pushed away by Turner. He’s been Newcastle’s best player by a distance.
90+2 min There was a VAR check. It looked a bit naughty from Guimaraes, though I appreciate I might be prejudging him because of his occasional ability to lose his rag. Either way there wasn’t enough for a red card.
90+1 min Niakhate is penalised for a sliding tackle on Guimaraes. I’d like to see that again because it looked like Guimaraes might have gone over the ball, not the other way round.
90+1 min Six minutes of added time.
90 min: Nottingham Forest substitutions Joe Worrall and Cheikhou Kouyate replace Danilo and the superb Anthony Elanga.
88 min Had Miguel Almiron been more selfish on the stroke of half-time, Newcastle would probably have won this game comfortably. Instead Forest equalised moments later, and in the second half they’ve been much the better team. Eddie Howe will be alarmed at Newcastle’s reaction to going 3-1 down.
86 min Now Schar flattens Gibbs-White for no particular reason. A lot of the Newcastle players are sulking, which is strange to watch because under Eddie Howe they have responded admirably to adversity.
85 min Guimaraes, who might have been booked earlier for a foul on Hudson-Odoi, does get a yellow card for cynically bringing down Yates.
84 min Williams is booked for delaying a Newcastle throw-in.
84 min Newcastle don’t look like scoring – but then nor did Forest just before half-time. We know that if Newcastle do get one they’ll fancy their chances of drawing, maybe even winning, the game.
83 min Newcastle are facing a fourth league defeat in five games. The last time that happened was under Steve Bruce in January 2021.
80 min Joelinton gives away a silly foul on Yates. Many of the Newcastle players have lost their head since going 3-1 down. Isak and Miley are honourable exceptions.
79 min: Nottingham Forest substitution Nicolas Dominguez replaces Callum Hudson-Odoi. And Newcastle bring on Lewis Hall for Sven Botman. That means Trippier will move to centre-back.
Updated
79 min Schar hoofs a free-kick miles over the bar. Newcastle have the collective face on.
77 min St James’ Park is eerily quiet.
75 min Isak, who has been excellent, gallops forward and threads a ball down the side of Niakhate towards Wilson. The two players wrestle for the ball, which eventually runs out of play, and the home crowd’s penalty appeals are ignored.
74 min “We saw what money can do with Man Utd and Chelsea,” responds Jeff Sax.
Fair point, but Newcastle won’t go back to being a bottom-half team, not a chance IMO.
Updated
72 min Yates has a shot blocked after a spectacular box-to-box run from Murillo. Newcastle break and Isak’s shot is pushed away to his left by Turner, a fine save. Gordon’s follow-up is desperately blocked on the line by the sliding Niakhate. There’s a VAR check for a penalty but the ball hit his shoulder rather than the arm or hand.
72 min: Newcastle substitution Joelinton replaces Sean Longstaff.
71 min “The best thing for Newcastle is that their next game is against Liverpool!!!” says Jeff Sax. Their four games in January are all biggies: Liverpool (A), Sunderland (A), Man City (H), Aston Villa (A). Eddie Howe is now fourth favourite in the sack race, which is both absurd and unsurprising.
70 min: Double substitution for Forest Ryan Yates and Neco Williams replace Ibrahim Sangare and Gonzalo Montiel.
69 min Newcastle are starting to stir. Aina’s header goes straight to Miley on the edge of the area; he takes a touch, shapes to shoot towards the near post and then sweeps just wide of the far post. Nice effort.
67 min Yet another chance on the break for Forest, with a weary Elanga having his shot blocked following a cross from Gibbs-White. Newcastle go down the other end and Isak’s shot hits Murillo and flies behind.
Just before the Forest break, Newcastle’s fans wanted a penalty for a challenge by Niakhate on Guimaraes. I’ll be honest, I haven’t a clue what happened because I was looking at emails.
66 min “Newcastle are continuing their downward spiral,” says Jeff Sax, “and will eventually find their natural position…”
Have you seen their bank balance? They’ll be fine so long as they hold their nerve and don’t do anything silly like sack Eddie Howe/sign Ronaldo.
63 min Gordon’s cross flies straight out of play. This is a crazy scoreline – only Villa have taken more points at home than Newcastle this season – but it’s not a particularly flattering one. Forest have picked them off on the break with increasing ease.
Goal given! That is quite remarkable: a 16-minute hat-trick for Chris Wood against his old club. The poor man still can’t celebrate because of our culture of performative etiquette, but inside he’ll be doing the happiest jig of his career.
This is another masterful finish from Chris Wood! He ran onto a simple through ball from Murillo, played onside by Trippier I think, sat Dubravka down and then walked round him to score. It’s being checked by VAR but I’m sure he’s onside.
CHRIS WOOD HAS A HAT-TRICK ⚽️⚽️⚽️
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2023
What a day for the New Zealander and @NFFC! #PLonPrime #NEWNFO pic.twitter.com/ij2gtIRJ3O
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GOAL! Newcastle 1-3 Nottm Forest (Wood 60, Wood hat-trick)
I can’t spake!
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59 min “This Elanga has produced some really dynamic wing play,” says Rob Hisnay. “Compare to Antony. Another mistake from Erik ten Hag.”
I think that’s harsh. Elanga has been excellent today but while there’s loads to like about him, particularly his pace and attitude, he’s not good enough for the team Man Utd aspire to be. Nor is Antony, but that’s a different point.
That said, Elanga should do extremely well under Nuno, who is an excellent counter-attacking coach.
57 min Guimaraes plays a good pass to release Trippier on the right of the area. His fast cross is slightly too close to Turner, who dives to punch it away.
57 min Miley ghosts into the area again, slips away from two players and has a shot blocked. For a 17-year-old, he’s frighteningly good.
55 min: Double substitution for Newcastle Tino Livramento and Callum Wilson replace Dan Burn and Miguel Almiron. That means Isak will play from the left with Gordon on the right.
54 min As good as Wood’s goal was, Dan Burn bought the dummy too easily. He’s had a very difficult afternoon.
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It came on the break. Of course it did. Elanga from the edge of the area to halfway line and forced a clever, curling pass to Wood on the left side of the area a split-second before being taken out. Wood cut inside as if to shoot, then chopped back outside Burn and dinked the ball gently over Dubravka. That was beautifully taken.
Nottingham Forest's counter-attacking = 🔥🔥🔥
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2023
A beautiful dinked finish from Chris Wood for his second goal of the afternoon!#PLonPrime #NEWNFO pic.twitter.com/WhPps5p1xR
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GOAL! Newcastle 1-2 Nottm Forest (Wood 53)
Chris Wood puts Forest ahead with a majestic finish!
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52 min At the other end Burn has a shot blocked following a Nwwcastle corner,
50 min After yet another menacing Forest break, Elanga shoots tamely at Dubravka from the edge of the area. Forest have had some very presentable chances.
49 min Trippier’s deep free-kick is headed back across goal by Schar and claimed by Turner. Forest break again, this time through Gibbs-White. He finds Aina, who beats Gordon in the area and stabs the ball across the face of goal. Almiron almost scores an own goal when his mistimed attempt to concede a corner hits Elanga in front of goal, then another Forest player has a shot desperately blocked.
Then the referee blows to signal that the ball went out of play before Aina’s cross. I’m not sure it did, so it would have been a tricky job for VAR had Forest scored.
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48 min Isak is limping slightly after being caught by Sangare. It looks like an impact injury rather than anything muscular so he should be okay.
46 min: Chance for Gibbs-White! Forest almost score within 15 seconds! Elanga roasts Burn yet again on the right and curls a fast cross towards Gibbs-White, 10 yards out. He flicks a header across goal and just past the far post. It was a pretty good chance, though maybe it caught him by surprise so soon after the kick-off.
46 min Peep peep! Forest begin the second half. It’s a big 50-odd minutes for both sides.
Half-time half-term reading
Half time: Newcastle 1-1 Nottm Forest
Interesting… reasonably interesting. Newcastle dominated much of the half but Forest, specifically Anthony Elanga, were always a threat on the break.
The impressive Alexander Isak won and scored a penalty to give Newcastle the lead in the 23th minute. Then, on the stroke of half-time, and moments after Miguel Almiron might have made it 2-0, Elanga created the equaliser for the Newcastle old boy Chris Wood.
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45+4 min: Good save from Turner! Isak’s header from Schar’s cross is clawed down by Turner, who dives to punch the loose ball away from the onrushing Almiron. Forest break again and Dubravka makes a comfortable save to his left from Hudson-Odoi.
Chris Wood has scored against his old club. It came on the break after Almiron, who had robbed Danilo on the edge of the Forest area, passed when he should have shot. The ball was cut out and Forest were away. Eventually Gibbs-White slid an angled pass to Elanga, whose low cross on the stretch gave Wood an open goal.
Simply having a wonderful Chris Wood time! 🎄@NFFC are level as the New Zealander haunts his former side!#PLonPrime #NEWNFO pic.twitter.com/68HlEAA3sR
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2023
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GOAL! Newcastle 1-1 Nottm Forest (Wood 45+1)
It could be 2-0; instead it’s 1-1!
Updated
44 min Gordon and Almiron combine to find the overlapping Trippier, whose cutback is booted away at the near post.
43 min Almiron beats Sangare with a nice dummy on the edge of the D but then crashes his shot over the bar.
42 min Elanga’s cross towards Wood is too close to Dubravka.
41 min Gibbs-White shoots high and wide from 20 yards. He’s been kept very quiet by Guimaraes, although he did have a pretty decent early chance.
39 min Newcastle have been brilliant since that Elanga chance, inspired by the energy and swagger of Guimaraes. He shuffles away from Danilo on the edge of the area but then slips over/dives and the move peters out.
38 min Lewis Miley, who doesn’t turn 18 until May, plays with an eerie elegance and maturity. His movement off the ball is particularly eye-catching, except if you’re an opposing defender. Nice subtlety to his passing too.
Updated
35 min The resulting corner leads to a scramble in the six-yard box before Aina half clears. Miley has a shot blocked after a lovely flick from Guimaraes and then heads straight at Turner from 10 yards. It wasn’t much of a chance because there was no pace on the cross.
Updated
34 min Isak has looked sharp today. He beats Danilo thrillingly on the right, moves in the area and floats a dainty chip that is turned over the bar by Turner. I think it was an errant cross, though I wouldn’t bet the farm on it.
33 min: Chance for Elanga! Forest should be level. Elanga ran onto a simple header infield, 40 yards out, and left Botman in his slipstream to move through on goal. He had Wood at the far post waiting for a tap-in but decide to go himself with a left-footed curler that was saved to his right by the diving Dubravka.
I’d like to see it again but I think he picked the wrong option. Either that or he tried to find Wood but messed up a fairly routine cross.
Updated
33 min Nothing much to report. Elanga has been a threat for Forest, the other players less so.
31 min “Hi Rob and Seasonal Greetings!” says Gary Naylor. “Isn’t the answer to the ‘How do you play Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson in the same team?’ question that they should learn how to do it? Plenty of centre-forwards grow into the No10 role (Harry Kane most obviously) and isn’t it part of a coach’s job to demand more of their players? I think part of Pep’s genius is his refusal to accept a player’s limits - and his willingness to ship out those whose imaginations confine them to the position they played in the under-11s.”
I know what you mean, but some players have a higher plasticine content than others. Even Pep, for example, rarely plays Phil Foden in the centre of midfield. You can get Isak and Wilson in a 4-3-3 at a push, with Isak on the left, but that means dropping Gordon so why would you.
Updated
30 min Niakhate’s long throw is headed on and hooked just wide on the volley by Elanga. Dubravka had it covered.
28 min Montiel was also booked for asking for a yellow card when Gordon committed that foul. Muscle memory has a lot to answer for.
27 min Miiley slaloms elegantly past three players just outside the Forest area and slides the ball across to Gordon. His stinging first-time shot is well blocked by the stretching Montiel. Forest break and Gordon hares back to foul Elangha (I think). He’s booked.
26 min Sangare is booked for a hack at Isak, who turned him classily 40 yards from goal. He’ll miss the next game.
25 min Niakhate plays a promising through pass towards Elanga on the right side of the area. Burn, who can’t match him for speed, has to make a desperate lunging tackle to knock the ball against Elanga and into the arms of Dubravka.
It was a very confident penalty, passed gently to his right. Although Turner went the right way in the end, his weight was on the other foot as Isak took the kick – which meant, even though the penalty was nowhere near the corner, he couldn’t get across and down in time. Isak scored an injury-time winner from the spot against Forest in March and now he has put Newcastle ahead.
Advantage @NUFC ⚫️⚪️
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2023
Alexander Isak strokes home the penalty beyond Matt Turner for the first Boxing Day goal!#PLonPrime #NEWNFO pic.twitter.com/75843tTWeN
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GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Nottm Forest (Isak 23 pen)
Alexander Isak likes scoring penalties against Nottingham Forest.
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Penalty given It took a while but the decision has been confirmed.
21 min: Penalty to Newcastle! Miley plays a cute through pass towards Isak, who pulls away from Aina and goes down. The referee thinks about it for a couple of seconds and then gives the penalty. It’s soft, and Isak made the most of it, but Aina kicked his boot so I doubt it will be overturned.
Updated
19 min An important interception at each end, first by Schar (I think) from Gibbs-White’s through ball and then by Murillo from Gordon’s cross.
17 min A Forest corner is headed away to Aina, who blasts over from 20 yards.
16 min Isak goes over in the area after a challenge from Danilo. There’s a brief shout for a penalty from the home crowd but that’s all.
14 min Despite the odd bit of self-harm like that Danilo pass, Forest have made a pretty comfortable start to the game. Newcastle are not at their ferocious best, yet.
12 min Danilo plays an absurd pass across his own area, straight to Almiron on the edge of the box. He finds Miley who plays in Trippier, but he floats a harmless chip over the bar.
11 min Forest almost get in trouble trying to play out from the back. With Newcastle waiting to pounce, the keeper Turner decides to aveit straight into the crowd. Merry Christmas.
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9 min Miley, an elusive player whose ghostly movement resembles that of Kai Havertz, wanders into space on the right of the area and stands up a decent cross that is headed away at the far post.
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7 min Nothing much to report at the moment. Forest certainly haven’t parked the bus, but both attacks are still rubbing the sleep out of their face.
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5 min Elanga has started on the right for Forest, with Hudson-Odoi on the left.
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4 min Now Forest win a corner. They also take it short and also make a mess of it.
3 min: Chance for Forest! Elanga’s shot is blocked and rebounds to Miley on the edge of the area. He runs into his own player, allowing Gibbs-White to seize possession and drag a shot just wide of the left-hand post. That was a pretty good chance.
Updated
1 min Trippier wins a corner for Newcastle inside 20 seconds. He takes it short to Almiron, who works it infield to Longstaff. His through pass back towards Trippier is cut out, the end.
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1 min Peep peep! Newcastle kick off from left to right as we watch. It looks a nice day at St James’ Park, with sunshine and everything.
From the archive: Newcastle v Nottm Forest
Only a spark was needed to set alight combustible feelings, and a balding middle-aged looking pugilist provided it. His paunch exposed, his shirt flying, this heavyweight bare-knuckle fighter set his arms flailing like a windmill and at least five policemen were needed to cool his ardour and pin him to the muddy turf. But the damage had been done and the crowd went haring down the pitch to the Gallowgate end.
And here’s what Nuno had to say
"I got the call... I could not say no"
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2023
Nuno Espirito Santo on the lure of managing @NFFC... #PLonPrime is LIVE now: https://t.co/XBvNsM6diG pic.twitter.com/Tq2UgcSqse
Eddie Howe’s pre-match thoughts
"We have to be very good today... this is another real tough game for us"
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2023
Eddie Howe comments on the condition of his injury-hit @NUFC squad ahead of #NEWNFO#PLonPrime pic.twitter.com/sFSghqJ51q
Team news
Sven Botman makes his first start since September, replacing the injured Jamaal Lascelles in defence. Alexander Isak is preferred to Callum Wilson in the only other change from Saturday’s defeat at Luton. Joelinton is back on the bench.
Nuno Espirito Santo has made six changes to the Nottingham Forest side. Ola Aina, Moussa Niakhate, Gonzalo Montiel, Danilo, Ibrahim Sangare and Callum Hudson-Odoi come in for Willy Boly (suspended after that absurd red card against Bournemouth), Harry Toffolo, Neco Williams, Ryan Yates, Orel Mangala and Divock Origi.
Newcastle (4-1-2-3) Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Bruno Guimaraes; Miley, Longstaff; Almiron, Isak, Gordon.
Substitutes: Karius, Dummett, Joelinton, Wilson, Ritchie, Krafth, Hall, Livramento, Murphy
Nottingham Forest (possible 4-2-3-1) Turner; Montiel, Murillo, Niakhate, Aina; Danilo, Sangare; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.
Substitutes: Odysseas, Nuno, Worrall, Mangala, Williams, Kouyate, Dominguez, Yates, Origi.
Referee Chris Kavanagh.
Updated
Half-term reports
Newcastle “A heady mix of exhilaration and frustration”
Nottingham Forest “Started promisingly but fell away alarmingly”
The set is staged
The scene is set. 😍🏟️ pic.twitter.com/K373EfalKc
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) December 26, 2023
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Newcastle v Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. After a 33-hour Christmas break, the Premier League is back. And while plenty are keen to get away from home over the Christmas period, even if it’s just for a sanity-restoring walk round the block, Newcastle will be very glad to be back at St James’ Park. Their away performances have collapsed since the injury crisis took hold, but their home form – at least in domestic competition – remains impeccable.
Home defeats to Dortmund and Milan cost Newcastle a place in Europe, but in the Premier League they won have seven in a row, scoring 16 and conceding only one. They could do with another victory today to draw a line under a desperate month and boost morale ahead of a series of big games in January.
Forest’s need for points is arguably even greater. They’re in quicksand, having losing six of their last seven league games, and could end the day in the bottom three for the first time this season. Saturday’s defeat to Bournemouth was so cruel as to verge on the sadistic. A result today, even a hard-fought draw, would make Forest feel a bit more optimistic about what the ne year holds.
Kick off 12.30pm.
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