Newcastle were beaten 2-1 at St James’ Park by Fulham just days before the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal.
Eddie Howe remains optimistic that Newcastle will rise to the occasion for their Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Arsenal, despite a second consecutive Premier League setback at St James’ Park.
Following a 4-1 defeat by Bournemouth on home turf, the Magpies gave up their lead to lose 2-1 to Fulham, casting a shadow over their preparations for Wednesday night’s crucial second leg, where they hold a 2-0 advantage.
When questioned about his concerns after another disappointing home display ahead of what could be the season’s most significant match, Howe said: “I think Wednesday night is a totally different game. I don’t think there’ll be too many parallels from today’s game.
“I just think there were similarities in the two home games we’ve just had. I didn’t think we were as bad today as we were against Bournemouth and we had our moments.
“At 1-1, I thought it was our best period of the game. If we score there, the game is very different. But we didn’t, of course. It’s hugely frustrating because I know how much better we are than that performance. We just looked a little flat for whatever reason.”
Jacob Murphy, celebrating his 200th appearance for Newcastle, initially gave the team a lead in the 37th minute, but the squad struggled to maintain control and ultimately succumbed meekly.
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