.png)
Newcastle United Edge Past 10-Man Burnley in Scrappy 2-1 Victory at St James' Park
- NUFC TALK TV
- Dec 6, 2025
- 3 min read
It wasn't pretty, but Newcastle United got the job done on a chilly December afternoon, grinding out a 2-1 win over a resilient Burnley side that refused to go down without a fight. With the Magpies eyeing European commitments and a big derby on the horizon, this result felt more like relief than celebration for Eddie Howe's men. Burnley, meanwhile, slipped to their sixth straight Premier League defeat, edging closer to the relegation trapdoor under Scott Parker.
The game started slowly for Newcastle, who looked a bit leggy after their midweek exertions. Burnley came out swinging, pressing high and earning a couple of early corners that had Aaron Ramsdale scrambling in the Newcastle goal. But the hosts grew into the match, and the breakthrough came in the 31st minute in the most unexpected way.
LISTEN TO NUFC TALK RADIO LIVE
Bruno Guimarães, the Brazilian maestro, whipped in a corner from the left that somehow evaded everyone, including Burnley's former Newcastle keeper Martin Dúbravka, and nestled straight into the net. It was a stunner, the kind of set-piece magic that Guimarães has made his trademark, and it gave St James' Park a much-needed lift.
WATCH AS NEWCASTLE FANS REACT TO THIS SCRAPPY WIN!
Things went from bad to worse for Burnley just before the break. In the 43rd minute, left-back Lucas Pires was shown a straight red card for cynically clipping Anthony Elanga as the winger burst through on goal. It was a reckless challenge, leaving referee Stuart Attwell with little choice but to send him off.
Down to 10 men, Burnley were hanging on, but Newcastle capitalized in first-half stoppage time. A cross into the box struck Lesley Ugochukwu's arm, and after a VAR check, Gordon stepped up to slot the penalty past Dúbravka, making it 2-0 and seemingly putting the game to bed.
The second half was largely one-way traffic, with Newcastle dominating possession but lacking that killer instinct to bury the game. They created chances, Gordon grazed the bar with a fierce drive, and Guimarães tested Dúbravka again, but Burnley defended doggedly.
A bright spot for Newcastle was the debut of summer signing Yoane Wissa, the £55 million man from Brentford, who came off the bench in the 74th minute and showed some neat touches despite his recent knee injury layoff. Jacob Murphy, still adjusting after his big move from Aston Villa, had a mixed day in midfield, but his late handball in stoppage time nearly cost his team dearly.
That's when the drama kicked in. In the 94th minute, Murphy's arm blocked a shot, and VAR intervened once more. Up stepped Burnley sub Zian Flemming, who coolly converted the penalty to pull one back and set up a nervy finale. Flemming almost turned hero in the dying seconds, missing a header from a free-kick that could have snatched a point.
Newcastle clung on, though, as the final whistle brought sighs of relief from the home crowd of over 52,000.
Player-wise, Guimarães was the standout, not just for his goal but for dictating the tempo throughout. Gordon was electric on the wing, tormenting Kyle Walker (who picked up an early yellow) and adding his second goal in five days. For Burnley, Dúbravka made some solid saves on his return to Tyneside, but the red card killed their momentum. Parker will rue the defensive lapses, especially that handball.
Post-match, Eddie Howe admitted it wasn't their finest hour. "It was a bizarre ending, we didn't close the game out well enough, but we'll take the three points. We're moving in the right direction with 10 from our last 12."
Scott Parker, a former Newcastle player himself, looked emotional. "We showed spirit to come back, but the red card changed everything. Days like this hurt, but we'll keep fighting."
This win pushes Newcastle into the top half of the table, a timely boost ahead of their Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen and the derby against Sunderland. For Burnley, it's back to the drawing board, four points from safety, and the pressure is mounting.
Football, eh? Never dull on Tyneside.
Comments