Eddie Howe’s Newcastle have lost momentum | Should Marco Silva try another player at Fulham? Premier League hits and misses | Soccer News

The fire has gone out from Hawes Newcastle.

As the clock ticked towards stoppage time, there was a moment when Sky Sports commentators expected a huge cheer as it became clear to the crowd that there would be nine minutes of stoppage time. he had to backtrack. There were only a few tweets.

These Newcastle supporters knew that a comeback was unlikely at St James’s Park. Bournemouth were too strong for them. This is their fourth consecutive loss in all competitions. It was their fifth defeat in six games in the Premier League in front of their home fans.

What happened to Newcastle? As much as Bournemouth, they were famous for their intensity in chasing opponents off the ball under manager Eddie Howe. But something is missing, and even those in charge have a hard time pointing it out.

“We know we don’t have a good enough product at the moment and we’re trying to find answers to that,” Howe told Sky Sports afterwards. Newcastle are down in 14th place with five games remaining. It looks like Leeds could catch them too.

Incidentally, they are on course for their worst finish in the Premier League since returning to the top division under manager Rafa Benitez. Even the unpopular Steve Bruce finished higher than this. Although Mr. Howe’s achievements are highly praised, it is a great shame.

The bigger concern, of course, is what this means for the project as a whole, regardless of the coach. Do you still have ambitions to compete with the big clubs in Europe? Whatever the answer to that question, Howe now finds himself under intense scrutiny.
Adam Bate

De Zerbi positive but points out Spurs are running out of time and hope

Now is not the time for small progress or signs of encouragement.

Tottenham are in desperate need of a big boost to bring about change. And time is running out.

This might be it. Xavi Simmons’ stunning curling goal felt like a turning point. His wild celebration, which involved jubilant Spurs fans, appeared to be the starting point.

But Georginio Rutter’s last-gasp leveler dashed those hopes. Spurs sat on the floor, their players lying on the pitch. This will take some time. Perhaps this was the limit for Spurs’ survival in the Premier League.

Roberto De Zerbi is understandably able to draw positives from Spurs’ performance in their first home game. He can praise the support the fans have given him. It is natural to ask the players not to get upset over a draw that feels like a loss.

But in reality, Spurs’ survival prospects are worsening.

Earn points? Yes. But there’s one less game they have to win to make a big difference.

They have failed to win any of their last five Premier League games in which they have taken the lead. They haven’t tasted victory in 2026. No matter what this team does right now, they can’t get over the line.

So how can we be confident going into a match with Champions League-chasing Aston Villa away, in-form Leeds at home and big rivals Chelsea, who could be a nightmare at Stamford Bridge?

Spurs will spend another week in the relegation zone, but the gap to safety could widen even further by next Saturday’s game against Wolves, with Forest having two games to play before then and West Ham taking on Monday Night Football.

De Zerbi made improvements. As he says, there is a quality to these ranks. But this team has deep-seated issues that have held them back for a long time. After this recent hammer blow, it is now a big challenge to change the situation in time to restore this club’s Premier League status.
peter smith

Carrick’s centre-back risk pays off

Many rightly questioned the decision to start Nousser Mazraoui at centre-back this evening.

The Moroccan player doesn’t have much experience in the position, and at Aiden Haven he was partnered full stop by a young player with little experience.

Before the game, moving Luke Shaw to center seemed to be the most obvious option. Perhaps Manuel Ugarte was also brought on during the defeat against Leeds.

His replacement was Mazraoui. The ultimate utility man. And it paid off. He looked composed on the ball and didn’t get taken advantage of too much in the air, even if he had one or two moments.

He played across the defense and also took on a holding role in midfield. He was also tried out as number 10. But of all his makeshift performances, this was his best yet.
Callum Bishop

Chelsea have 4 games, 4 losses and 4 blanks.

Chelsea’s 1-0 loss to Manchester United was a bittersweet result for many reasons. This defeat further reduces their chances of qualifying for the Champions League. The boos inside Stamford Bridge were deafening.

Still, Liam Rosenior says they still deserved to win. He noted their advantages, especially the number of times they hit the woodwork. The statistics back it up. They had 21 attempts compared to United’s four. Even that wasn’t enough.

This is the fourth consecutive game in which the Blues have not scored. The Blues haven’t performed this badly since 1912, more than a century ago.

It’s not that they didn’t create good opportunities, but there were many shots filled with hope. They finished with an xG of 1.55. But once again, they wondered, “What if?”

Coach Rossenyol said in the post-match press conference that he was tired of Chelsea fans saying their team had played well after a loss. And while he may have arguments, they won’t be heard if you can’t do the most important thing in football. Put the ball behind the net.
Callum Bishop

Iraora could leave Bournemouth for Europe

In manager Andoni Iraola’s first game since confirming he would be leaving Bournemouth in the summer, his side beat Newcastle 2-1 at St James’ Park, extending their unbeaten run to 13 games. Their European ambitions this season are real.

The Cherries were the much better team in the first half, repelling William Osula’s equalizer and snatching the winning goal from Adrian Traffert’s advance. Their game has an eye-catching intensity that drives their opponents to their knees.

Iraola will have suitors once the season ends, but whether those teams are in the Premier League or in his native Basque Country, how many of his options are better off than his Bournemouth side? They are up to 8th place in the Premier League table.

At the full-time whistle, Chelsea and Brentford were level on points above them. And with excellent form. Iraola told Sky Sports: “We’re in a great position, we’ve had great results. We’re at an important stage of the season. We have a chance.”

“It’s difficult because we have teams in front of us, but we have five games to catch up with these teams and keep playing well and keep this unbeaten streak going for as long as possible, because they’ve shown they don’t take breaks.”

Bournemouth will be favorites to beat Leeds and Crystal Palace in their next two games (both at home). It would be no surprise if they were in 6th place at that point and were approaching European football for the first time. A farewell gift from Iraora.
Adam Bate

Question mark over Silva era amid contract situation

For Fulham, qualifying for Europe seems a very distant goal. There are still five games left, but they haven’t done enough to finish in the top seven or eight.

The Cottage’s are in good form with just one win in eight away league games. Just 35.6 per cent of Fulham’s 45 goals in the Premier League have come on the road. This is the second-lowest number in the division, only ahead of the last-place Wolves.

There are too many question marks in Marco Silva’s team. Will Rodrygo Muniz or Raul Jimenez be up front? Are Emile Smith Rowe or Josh King the best option behind the striker? Is Alex Iwobi’s best position in midfield or out wide? From the best choice of right-back to Oscar Bobb’s fit in the team, the list goes on and on.

After the draw against Brentford, Silva once again brushed aside any news about whether contract talks were progressing, but there was also no update on star winger Harry Wilson.

With Wilson’s departure drawing ever closer and Silva seemingly struggling to figure out his best team, are these signs that it might be best for Fulham’s head coach to let others take on the challenge and usher in a new era of greater definition for the club?
Sam Blitz

Brentford’s European bid is stalling

Brentford have drawn five games in a row, and six games including losing on penalties to West Ham in the fifth round of the FA Cup. This stalemate shows that Brentford’s expansion into Europe is coming to a standstill.

At Fulltime, Hard-Fi’s song “Hard to Beat” echoed through Gtech Community Stadium, and that’s certainly true. But their third goalless draw in five Premier League games shows Brentford are also becoming tough to watch.

It used to be that if you watched a Brentford game, you were guaranteed to see a G-Tech goal. But they still haven’t won at home since Jan. 7. Everything is coming to a bit of a standstill for Keith Andrews, especially at the top end of the pitch. The team has Igor Thiago, who ranks second in goalscoring, but he doesn’t have enough depth around him.

Brentford’s lack of options was clear from their failure to make a substitution against Fulham. They scored just one goal in the 2-2 draw with Everton, but the likes of Reiss Nelson and exciting young winger Romell Donovan didn’t have enough faith in them to win the game off the bench.

Brentford’s injury list is significant, with Vitaly Janert, Fabio Carvalho, Antoni Mirambo and Rico Henry all absent. However, the lack of reliable options begs the question: even if Brentford manage to qualify for Europe, is it really worth it given their thin squad?
Sam Blitz

Okafor in good form is the key to Leeds’ survival

Not many would expect Noah Okafor to be the key to Leeds United’s recent turnaround, which has seen Daniel Farke’s side move well out of the drop zone, but the Swiss striker is in many ways emblematic of an unexpectedly impressive season for the club.

The 25-year-old, signed from AC Milan in August, has taken time to settle in to his new surroundings, often being used as an impact sub for Falke, but his recent form has helped keep his new team out of danger.

In Germany’s new 3-5-2 formation, a crucial change made during the 3-2 defeat to Man City at the end of November, Okafor plays directly alongside No. 9 Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the duo working well together in attack.

Okafor, who did not score or assist in 16 consecutive league appearances between October 2025 and January 2026, has scored six goals and found the net five times in his last five games, including two goals in a 2-1 win over Man United on Monday Night Football and two goals in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Wolves at Elland Road.

In fact, only United’s Bruno Fernandes (10) has featured since the start of February.
rich morgan