Newcastle United somehow found a way past Fulham on Saturday.
Despite starting so badly that Eddie Howe had to hold harsh words with his players, Newcastle found a way to claim a vital three points at Craven Cottage.
Part of that was thanks to a second-half improvement, which club legend Alan Shearer pointed out on X.
Another reason for it was that Fulham failed to convert their early dominance into anything truly meaningful.
They boasted 67.3% possession and had 14 shots (via the Premier League’s official website) but only four of those were on target.
Still, Marco Silva looked to have aimed a dig at Howe’s side during his post-match interview.
Marco Silva now aims dig at Newcastle after Fulham lose
Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, Silva claimed Newcastle invoked some of the dark arts in order to stem the wave of Fulham’s attacks in the opening period.
“They tried to break our momentum a few times, goalkeeper on the grass once or twice and the medical staff coming on to the pitch a few times,” he said.
“Even so they were not able to do it.”
Presumably, he’s referring to Martin Dubravka going down for treatment in the early stages, although he was not ultimately replaced.
Newcastle go back to their old style against Fulham
Frankly, Silva should be more concerned about his own team’s wastefulness in front of goal than anything Newcastle did.
At times in the first half, Howe’s side were there to be beaten.
Still, and it’s unclear as to whether or not Dubravka really was going down to give his team a rest, even the idea of it evokes memories of last season.
Newcastle were branded “annoying” by the likes of Erik ten Hag for their tendency to waste time and general desire to do whatever it takes to win.
Howe’s side have been too easy to score against for much of the campaign but it’s promising to see them lean back on what made last season so successful.
Sorry Silva but Dubravka going down injured isn’t what stopped Fulham winning the game.
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