Eddie Howe's Newcastle have lost their fire | Should Marco Silva give someone else a go at Fulham? Premier League hits & misses

The fire has gone from Howe's Newcastle

There was a moment as the clock ticked towards stoppage-time that the Sky Sports commentator predicted great roars once the nine minutes of additional time were revealed to the crowd. He had to backtrack. There were no more than a few murmurs.

These Newcastle supporters knew no comeback was likely to occur at St James' Park. Bournemouth were too strong for them. This was a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions. It was a fifth Premier League defeat in six games in front of their own fans.

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What has happened to Newcastle? It was they as much as Bournemouth who were famed for their intensity under Eddie Howe, hunting down opponents off the ball. But something is missing and even the man in charge is struggling to put his finger on it.

"We are not delivering, we know, anywhere near a good enough product at the moment and we are trying to find the answers to that," Howe told Sky Sports afterwards. With five games to go, Newcastle are 14th and slipping. Leeds look capable of catching them too.

For context, they are on course for their lowest Premier League finish since their return to the top division under Rafa Benitez. Even the unpopular Steve Bruce finished higher than this. While Howe's achievements are appreciated, it is desperately disappointing.

The bigger concern, of course, is what this means for the entire project regardless of the coach. Does the ambition to compete with the biggest clubs in Europe remain? Whatever the answer to that question, Howe finds himself under intense scrutiny now.
Adam Bate

De Zerbi points to positives but time and hope running out for Spurs

This is not the moment for small steps of progress and signs of encouragement.

Tottenham are desperate for a huge, transformative boost. And time is running out.

This could have been it. Xavi Simons' brilliant, curling goal felt like the turning point. His wild celebrations which took him into the jubilant Spurs fans seemed to be a launchpad.

But Georginio Rutter's last-gasp leveller crushed that hope. Spurs were floored, with players laid out on the pitch. This will take some getting over. Perhaps this was it, for Spurs' Premier League survival.

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Roberto De Zerbi can justifiably pick out positives from Spurs' performance in his first home game. He can praise the fans for the support they gave. It is natural he demands the players don't wallow in a draw which felt like a loss.

But the reality is Spurs' survival prospects have worsened.

A point gained? Yes - but there is now one less game to win to substantially shift their situation.

They've failed to win each of their last five Premier League games when they've taken the lead. They haven't tasted victory in 2026. This is a team which just can't get over the line right now, no matter what they try.

So how do they go into a run-in which features Champions League qualification-chasing Aston Villa away, and in-form Leeds at home, and a potential Stamford Bridge nightmare with big rivals Chelsea with confidence?

Spurs will spend another week in the relegation zone and their gap to safety could yet extend before they go to Wolves next Saturday, with Forest having two games to play before then and West Ham in action on Monday Night Football.

De Zerbi has made improvements. As he says, there is quality in these ranks. But there are deep-rooted problems within this squad which has held them down for so long. Changing that in time to salvage this club's Premier League status after this latest hammer blow is now a huge task
Peter Smith

Carrick's centre-back risk pays off

Many would've understandably questioned the decision to start Noussair Mazraoui at centre-back this evening.

The Moroccan hasn't got much experience in that position, and he was partnering a youngster without much experience full stop in Ayden Heaven.

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Pre-match, moving Luke Shaw central seemed to be the most obvious option. Perhaps Manuel Ugarte, too, after he slotted in during the defeat to Leeds.

Instead, it was Mazraoui. The ultimate utility man. And it paid off too. He looked calm on the ball and didn't get too exploited aerially, even if there were one or two moments.

He has played all across the defence, slotted into the holding midfield role. He's even tried out as a number 10. But of all his makeshift performances, this was by far his best yet.
Callum Bishop

Four games, four defeats, four blanks for Chelsea

Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester United was a sour note for plenty of reasons. The defeat leaves them with even less chance of qualifying for the Champions League. The boos inside Stamford Bridge were deafening.

And yet, Liam Rosenior says they still deserved to win. He pointed to their dominance, the amount of times they hit the woodwork in particular. The stats back that up. They had 21 attempts to United’s four. Yet, it wasn’t enough.

It marks the fourth consecutive game that the Blues have failed to score in. They haven’t had a run that bad since 1912, more than a century ago.

It’s not that they created no good opportunities and had a lot of hopeful shots. They finished with an xG of 1.55. But again, they were left wondering what if.

Rosenior said in his post-match press conference that Chelsea fans were sick of him saying that his side played well after defeats. And while he may have an argument, it falls of deaf ears when you can’t do the most important thing in football. Put the ball in the back of the net.
Callum Bishop

Iraola could leave Bournemouth in Europe

In the first game since Andoni Iraola revealed that he will leave Bournemouth in the summer, his side extended their unbeaten run to 13 games as they deservedly defeated Newcastle 2-1 at St James' Park. Their European ambitions this season are real.

The Cherries were by far the better side in the first half and bounced back from William Osula's equaliser to grab the winner from Adrien Truffert's foray forward. There is an intensity to their game that catches the eye - and catches their opponents out.

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Iraola will have his suitors once the season is over but whether those teams are in the Premier League or back home in the Basque Country, how many of his options will be in better shape than his Bournemouth? They are up to eighth in the Premier League table.

At the full-time whistle, that had them level on points with Chelsea and Brentford above them. And in superior form. "We are in a great place, great run of results. We are arriving to the important part of the season. We have our chances," Iraola told Sky Sports.

"It is difficult because we have teams ahead of us but we have five games to try to catch these teams, to try to continue playing well and keep this unbeaten run going as long as we can. Because these players have shown they are not taking days off."

Bournemouth will be favourites to beat Leeds and Crystal Palace in their next two matches - both at home. By that point, it would be no great surprise if they are in sixth spot and closing in on European football for the first time. Some parting gift from Iraola.
Adam Bate

Question marks over Silva era amid contract situation

For Fulham, European qualification seems like a long shot. With five games to go, they simply haven't done enough on the road to justify making the top seven or eight spots.

The Cottagers are on a run of just one win in eight away from home in the league. A measly total of 35.6 per cent of Fulham's 45 points in the Premier League have been picked up on the road - it's the second-lowest tally in the division, only above bottom club Wolves.

There are just too many question marks about Marco Silva's squad. Rodrigo Muniz or Raul Jimenez up front? Is Emile Smith Rowe or Josh King the best option behind the striker? Where is Alex Iwobi's best position, midfield or out wide? From the best choice right-back, to Oscar Bobb's suitability in the team, the list can go on and on.

After the draw at Brentford, Silva once again swatted away any news on whether his contract talks are progressing - and there's also no update on star winger Harry Wilson.

With Wilson's exit edging closer and Silva seemingly struggling to understand his best team, are these the signs that it may be best for Fulham head coach to give someone else a go, and guide a new era containing more clarity at the club?
Sam Blitz

Brentford's Europe bid is going stale

Five draws in a row for Brentford, six if you count the FA Cup fifth-round loss to West Ham on penalties. The stalemates are showing that Brentford's European bid is going stale.

At full-time, Hard-Fi's song Hard to Beat rang round the Gtech Community Stadium and that is certainly the case. But a third goalless draw in five Premier League games are showing that Brentford are becoming hard to watch too.

Watching Brentford was once a guaranteed hit with goals flying in at the Gtech. But they still haven't won at home since January 7 - and it's all becoming a bit stuck for Keith Andrews, particularly at the top end of the pitch. They have the second-top goalscorer in Igor Thiago in their team, but there's not enough depth around him.

Brentford's lack of options can clearly be seen through the fact they failed to make a substitution against Fulham. They only made one in the 2-2 draw with Everton - with not enough trust put in the likes of Reiss Nelson and exciting young winger Romelle Donovan to win the game off the bench.

Brentford's injury list is significant with no Vitaly Janelt, Fabio Carvalho, Antoni Milambo and Rico Henry. But a lack of reliable options raises the question: if Brentford do make Europe, is it really worth it for them given their thin squad?
Sam Blitz

In-form Okafor key to Leeds survival

Not too many people would have had Noah Okafor as being key to Leeds United's recent upturn in form that has seen Daniel Farke's side move well clear of the drop zone, but the Swiss striker is in many ways symbolic of the club's unexpectedly impressive campaign.

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Signed from AC Milan in August, the 25-year-old took his time to settle in his new surroundings, often being used as an impact sub by Farke, before hitting a rich vein of form of late to help move his new team away from danger.

In the German's new 3-5-2 formation, which he crucially switched to in a 3-2 loss at Man City at the end of November, Okafor plays just off No 9 Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the duo dovetailing nicely in attack.

So much so that after a run of 16 consecutive league appearances without either a goal or an assist between October 2025 and January 2026, Okafor has now been involved in six goals across his last five appearances, netting five times, including both a brace in the 2-1 win at Man Utd on Monday Night Football, followed by another in the 3-0 victory over Wolves at Elland Road on Saturday.

In fact, only United's Bruno Fernandes, with 10, has been involved since the beginning of February.
Rich Morgan

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Eddie Howe's Newcastle have lost their fire | Should Marco Silva give someone else a go at Fulham? Premier League hits & misses