Newcastle Defeat Brentford 4-2 and Await FA Cup Outcome for Europe | OneFootball

Newcastle’s European Hopes Hinge on FA Cup Outcome After Brentford Triumph

Crucial Win for the Magpies

Newcastle United face an anxious wait to discover if they will secure European football for the next season after a crucial victory over Brentford cemented their seventh-place finish in the Premier League. The Magpies’ triumph means their European ambitions now rest on the result of the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United. Should City win, Newcastle will earn a spot in the 2024-25 UEFA Conference League.

Match Highlights and Key Moments

Brentford’s Ivan Toney saw an early goal disallowed against his former club, but it was Newcastle who struck first. Midway through the first half, Harvey Barnes connected with Bruno Guimaraes’ cross, heading it into the roof of the net. Although Sean Longstaff had a close-range finish ruled out for offside, Jacob Murphy doubled Newcastle’s lead by converting Alexander Isak’s low cross, following an error by Brentford’s Ethan Pinnock.

Isak, later becoming the first Newcastle player since Alan Shearer in 2003-04 to score 21 goals in a Premier League season, added a third by side-footing Guimaraes’ through ball into the far corner. Brentford attempted a comeback with Vitaly Janelt scoring his first goal since February 2023 and Yoanne Wissa adding a second with a spectacular long-range strike. However, Guimaraes sealed the win for Newcastle, netting the rebound after Mark Flekken saved Isak’s free-kick.

Photo: IMAGO

“It summed up our season,” Howe told BBC Sport. “We weren’t totally secure at the back, but great credit to the players. They’ve done their job – now we wait and see. We anticipated after losing against Manchester United [on Wednesday] that our control of the [European] situation had gone. It’s never a nice situation, but whatever happens, happens.”

Magpies Look to Man City for European Qualification

Despite a season riddled with injuries, Newcastle’s top-seven finish – potentially ensuring European football for the second consecutive season – should be seen as a success for Eddie Howe’s side. Their away form has been problematic, and early on, it seemed like another difficult outing when Toney scored from Bryan Mbeumo’s cross in the third minute. However, Mbeumo was offside, and after this reprieve, Newcastle never looked back.

Joelinton missed a clear chance to score with the game still at 0-0, and Flekken prevented Isak from doubling Newcastle’s lead before the break. Though Janelt and Wissa’s goals sparked hope for Brentford, Newcastle restored their two-goal cushion through Guimaraes late in the game. This came after a penalty was downgraded to a free-kick by VAR, determining that Mbeumo’s foul on Lewis Hall occurred just outside the area.

Remarkably, Newcastle matches have featured 147 goals this season, the highest in the Premier League since Liverpool’s games saw 151 goals in 2013-14. After finishing above Manchester United for the first time in the Premier League era, Newcastle fans now hope for further disappointment for Erik ten Hag’s side at Wembley.

Brentford’s Improvement Falls Short

For Brentford, the final day defeat marked only their second loss in nine matches since mid-March. Thomas Frank’s team began the match brightly, with Toney’s disallowed goal a significant early moment. However, they faltered after Barnes’ opener and could have been further behind by half-time.

In the second half, Brentford showed resilience. Nick Pope made an outstanding save to deny Toney his first goal since February, but despite Janelt and Wissa’s goals, the comeback was insufficient. Addressing the home fans at full-time, Frank promised his team would “go even bigger” next season, ensuring Brentford’s fourth consecutive top-flight campaign.