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BURNLEY RELEGATED FROM THE PREMIER LEAGUE AFTER DEFEAT TO NEWCASTLE

Burnley slipped out of the Premier League as a late fightback was not enough to avoid a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle and their former boss Eddie Howe.

The Clarets had looked down and out after Callum Wilson punished an inexplicable Nathan Collins handball from the penalty spot and Newcastle’s top-scorer was given the freedom of the Burnley box to score an easy second on the hour mark.

Maxwel Cornet powered home a Burnley reply in the 69th minute and, when word came through of a Brentford equaliser against Leeds moments later, Burnley responded with their best spell of the game, pegging back Newcastle and forcing corner after corner.

But Cornet headed their best chance straight at Martin Dubravka three minutes from time and, as Jack Harrison secured a 2-1 win for Brentford, Burnley, who celebrated their 140th anniversary a few days ago, saw their six-year stay in the Premier League come to an end.

It was a cruel finish for the Clarets, who had made themselves favourites to avoid the drop, with a battling draw at Aston Villa on Thursday night the latest point picked up by Mike Jackson, who had taken 11 from eight games since replacing the sacked Sean Dyche last month.

But, when it got to the decisive day the pressure seemed to get to Burnley, who were too panicked in their play for long periods, unable to get a grip on the game they needed a result from most.

While Newcastle fans look ahead to what should be a fascinating summer of investment under their new owners, Burnley face a host of potential problems in the second tier.

Club accounts show they must now repay a “substantial” portion of a £65million loan taken out as part of Alan Pace’s leveraged takeover in late 2020, while Ben Mee, James Tarkowski, Ashley Barnes and Matej Vydra are on a list of nine first-team players out of contract this summer.

Turf Moor roared on Burnley at kick-off, but the nerves both in the stands and on the pitch were obvious in a fractious start.

With 18 minutes gone Collins reached out an arm after Nick Pope got a fist to a corner. Craig Pawson was sent to the screen by VAR Jarred Gillett before giving an inevitable penalty, and Wilson fired home.

Burnley needed to calm down. Twice Connor Roberts broken down the right, but twice his low cross towards Cornet got no further than the first man.

Otherwise their play was too hurried to trouble Newcastle, who went closest to a second before the break with a counter-attack as Pope stuck out a leg to block Allan Saint-Maximin’s low shot.

Collins almost had another moment in the 49th minute when he tried to turn Jacob Murphy’s cross behind but almost poked it into his own goal.

News of Raphinha’s penalty at Brentford saw the tension rise further and it translated on to the pitch, where Burnley’s own players were running into each other, their composure now entirely deserting them.

Newcastle were quick to capitalise as Saint-Maximin’s cross from the left found Wilson in acres of space and the unmarked forward side-footed the ball past Pope.

Cornet got a goal back in the 69th minute to give Turf Moor some cause for optimism, making no mistake after Dubravka had saved his initial shot.

Hopes were rekindled and Burnley poured forward. Jamaal Lascelles hooked a Cornet header off the line and the crowd were on their feet again as word arrived of a Sergi Canos equaliser in west London.

Moments later, half-time substitute Wout Weghorst stretched to reach a Barnes cross but poked agonisingly wide.

Matt Targett blocked Jack Cork’s shot on the line and then Cornet headed straight at Dubravka with three minutes to go.

Cornet was then denied again in stoppage time as Burnley’s late fightback was not enough.

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JOELINTON STARS AS NEWCASTLE MOVE NORWICH CLOSER TO RELEGATION

Joelinton scored twice on his 100th Premier League appearance for Newcastle as they climbed into the top half with a comfortable 3-0 win over Norwich which moved the Canaries closer to relegation.

It was the Magpies’ first win at Carrow Road since January 1994, with the Brazilian finding the net two times inside the first half.

Joelinton broke the deadlock in the 35th minute with a curled strike into the top corner before slotting home again just six minutes later.

Bruno Guimaraes wrapped up the win at the start of the second half, when he beat a defender to Tim Krul’s attempted pass out from the back, before taking a touch and cleverly lobbing the goalkeeper.

With Newcastle flying after a fourth consecutive win, Norwich remain rooted to the foot of the table, eight points from safety with five matches remaining.

The game started slowly, but Newcastle had the first significant chance when Dan Burn played a perfect long ball from defence to Jacob Murphy, but the 27-year-old was unable to find the target and dragged wide.

Norwich then had an opportunity, with Kieran Dowell, who was picked out by Mathias Normann, firing over the bar.

The home side then potentially should have taken the lead when Teemu Pukki was played in one-on-one with Martin Dubravka, but he allowed the defenders to get back when trying to take the ball around the goalkeeper.

The Finland international then pulled it back to Dowell, who shot over the bar for a second time in quick succession.

Newcastle found the breakthrough in the 35th minute.

Murphy passed to Allan Saint-Maximin who flicked it to Sean Longstaff and the midfielder fed Joelinton, who curled into the top corner. VAR reviewed the goal for a possible offside, but Murphy was ruled onside.

Moments later, the visitors fired in a second, with Murphy again involved in the build-up, driving into the box before playing in an unmarked Joelinton to slot past Krul.

Newcastle added a third just after half-time.

In trying to clear his lines, Krul passed it straight to Guimaraes just outside the box, in an attempt to give the ball to Kenny McLean.

Under no pressure at all, the Brazilian took a touch before a beautifully lofted finish over Krul’s head and into the back of the net.

Krul was more alert in the 59th minute when he made a relatively straightforward save to deny Joelinton a hat-trick.

In the 65th minute Norwich had a chance to pull one back as Jonathan Rowe played in Pukki. But the striker dragged just wide of the far post, and the Canaries were unable to find a way back into the game.

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MIGUEL ALMIRON STRIKE SEES NEWCASTLE PAST CRYSTAL PALACE

Miguel Almiron’s stunning strike handed Newcastle a sixth successive home Premier League win for the first time since 2004 as they smashed through the 40-point barrier.

Almiron’s 32nd-minute goal, his first for the club since February last year, was enough to claim a 1-0 win over beaten FA Cup semi-finalists Crystal Palace and lift the Magpies into 11th place, 15 points clear of the relegation zone.

However, they were forced to scrap all the way to the final whistle as Patrick Vieira’s side belatedly mounted a concerted counter-offensive in front of a crowd of 51,938 at St James’ Park, among them Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan in a classic game of two halves.

Palace’s high-energy start pinned Newcastle back deep inside their own half, in possession but with little time of space to exploit it, although it took a timely block by Marc Guehi to keep out Almiron’s shot after Allan Saint-Maximin, Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes had combined to set him up.

Saint-Maximin could not find a finish to match his mazy run after Joelinton had dispossessed Jeffrey Schlupp in midfield three minutes later, and the home side were appealing in vain for a penalty after Almiron blasted the ball against Cheikhou Kouyate’s out-stretched arm from point-blank range.

With both sides adopting solid shapes, they largely nullified each other’s threat to leave goalkeepers Martin Dubravka and Vicente Guaita virtual spectators.

But the Spaniard was picking the ball out of his net 13 minutes before the break when, after Guimaraes had collected Emil Krafth’s throw in on his chest and lifted a pass over the top of full-back Tyrick Mitchell, Almiron raced away before firing a shot across Guaita and inside the far post.

The Paraguay international was denied a second four minutes later when the keeper dived to his right to claim his dipping effort, and he also had to deal with a long-range effort from Guimaraes as the Magpies smelled blood.

Palace had a chance to level four minutes before the break after Joelinton’s error put Odsonne Edouard in on goal, but Dubravka dealt with his weak attempt comfortably.

The Magpies picked up were they had left off with Almiron seeing a shot blocked and Joelinton heading wide from Matt Targett’s free-kick inside the opening three minutes of the second half.

An out-of-sorts Wilfried Zaha redoubled his efforts to drag the visitors back into the game as they enjoyed their best spell of possession, but it was simply not happening for him.

Dan Burn had to be alert to deny substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta possession deep inside the Newcastle penalty area with 62 minutes gone, and Dubravka was relieved to see Zaha pull an attempt wide from Edouard’s pass three minutes later with Palace pressing.

Mateta and Edouard also both failed to test the keeper with headers, and Zaha with a last-gasp shot, from promising positions with the home side camped inside their own half and seemingly unable to escape, and referee Tony Harrington’s final whistle could not come soon enough for the locals.

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EPL: BRUINO GUIMARAES’ LATE WINNER HANDS NEWCASTLE FIFTH STRAIGHT HOME VICTORY

Bruno Guimaraes headed home a stoppage-time winner as Newcastle came from behind to beat European semi-finalists Leicester and all but end their Premier League relegation fears.

The Brazilian, who had earlier cancelled out Ademola Lookman’s first-half opener, pounced in the fifth minute of added time to the delight of a crowd of 52,104 at St James’ Park to snatch a 2-1 victory which lifted the Magpies 12 points clear of the drop zone.

Europa Conference League semi-finalists Leicester dominated possession for long periods despite manager Brendan Rodgers making wholesale changes, but were unable to find a way past keeper Martin Dubravka for a second time, and were ultimately left counting the cost.

City, featuring only three of the men – Kasper Schmeichel, Youri Tielemans and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – who started Thursday night’s 2-1 victory at PSV Eindhoven, found themselves under pressure from the off after central defender Daniel Amartey picked up a first-minute booking for a foul on Miguel Almiron.

However, Schmeichel dealt ably with Jonjo Shelvey’s shot from the resulting free-kick despite the ball bouncing nastily as it reached him.

Joelinton blazed over from a tight angle after running on to Fabian Schar’s cross beyond the far post as play switched rapidly from end to end with Shelvey for the home side and Tielemans for the Foxes orchestrating from midfield.

It was Leicester who took a 19th-minute lead when Dewsbury-Hall drilled a low corner into former Magpie Ayoze Perez’s near-post run and when he flicked the ball inside, Lookman drove a shot through a crowded penalty area and underneath Dubravka.

The Newcastle keeper was relieved to see Tielemans drag a 25th-minute effort wide after he had turned Shelvey and raced towards goal, and Matt Targett had to throw himself into the path of a Perez strike seconds later, and their side were level 14 minutes before the break.

Defender Dan Burn headed down Shelvey’s corner and although Schmeichel blocked Guimaraes’ initial shot, the Brazilian poked the ball between the keeper’s legs and across the line and referee Jarred Gillett, after being advised to review his initial decision to chalk the goal off, changed his mind.

Targett headed straight at Schmeichel from Guimaraes’ inviting 37th-minute cross as Eddie Howe’s men sensed an opportunity, but Dewsbury-Hall tested Dubravka from distance on the stroke of half-time as an even first 45 minutes drew to a close.

Saint-Maximin scuffed a 47th-minute shot wide as he slipped after Almiron had tricked his way past Luke Thomas on the touchline and squared, and the Frenchman skied a second attempt high over seconds later.

But Emil Krafth had to make a vital block to deny Lookman after Caglar Soyuncu and Perez had combined to play him in.

Dan Burn had to be equally vigilant to deny Kelechi Iheanacho a late winner from Dewsbury-Hall’s cross, and it was the Magpies who struck at the death when Guimaraes headed home substitute Joe Willock’s deflected cross to clinch a fifth successive home victory.

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CHRIS WOOD PENALTY HELP NEWCASTLE SEES OFF WOLVES TO BOOST SURVIVAL HOPES

Chris Wood blasted home a 72nd-minute penalty to hand Newcastle a precious victory over Wolves which lifted them to the brink of Premier League safety.

The £25 million January signing’s second goal in a black and white shirt secured a 1-0 win which left the Magpies 10 points clear of the relegation zone and piled the pressure on the teams below them.

Wood, who became New Zealand’s record scorer during last month’s international break, had seen a first-half strike ruled out by VAR, but his decisive intervention ended his side’s three-game losing streak, to the delight of the majority of a crowd of 52,164 at St James’ Park.

It was little more than Eddie Howe’s side – prompted throughout by the excellent Bruno Guimaraes – deserved on a night when Wolves rarely looked like claiming the three points they needed to climb into the top six, until a late flurry.

The Newcastle boss was forced to make a change with just 12 minutes gone when Ryan Fraser, who had earlier undergone treatment on the pitch, was unable to continue and Miguel Almiron was asked to take his place.

Time and space were at a premium with both teams attempting to press out of possession and it took a ball over the top from Jonjo Shelvey to hand Almiron a half-chance with 21 minutes gone, but although the Paraguay international’s controlling touch was good, his shot did not match it.

Newcastle thought they had taken a 24th-minute lead when a prone Wood fired home after Wolves had failed to clear Guimaraes’ cross – after he and Almiron had cleverly exchanged passes – but although there was no offside flag, it was decided there should have been following a VAR review.

Jonny blazed over from distance two minutes later as Wolves fleetingly responded, but they were largely content to attempt to contain the Magpies during a first half of little real incident with Joelinton glancing a Matt Targett free-kick well wide two minutes before the break.

With wing-back Marcal much further advanced after the break, Wanderers looked significantly more threatening, although goalkeeper Jose Sa had to pluck Dan Burn’s shot out of the air after he had run on to Wood’s 52nd-minute flick-on.

Hwang Hee-chan saw his attempt blocked at close range after he had carved his way into the Newcastle box three minutes later and Joao Moutinho drilled a cross across the face of goal with the game opening up.

An out-of-sorts Allan Saint-Maximin was enduring a frustrating evening and skied a 64th-minute well over from Guimaraes’ cross before failing to pick out Wood at the far post seconds later.

But the former Burnley striker finally got his chance with 18 minutes remaining when, after he had been upended by Sa as he ran on to Joelinton’s pass, he sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot to open the scoring.

Guimaraes might have made it 2-0, but saw his scuffed hit trickle just wide, but the lead was desperately fragile with Fabio Silva heading wastefully wide before being denied by a fine save from Martin Dubravka as time ran down.

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TOTTENHAM THRASH NEWCASTLE 5-1 TO HEAT UP TOP-FOUR BATTLE

Tottenham moved into the top four of the Premier League with a statement 5-1 win over Newcastle which piles the pressure on north London rivals Arsenal.

After falling behind to Fabian Schar’s first-half free-kick, goals from Ben Davies, Matt Doherty, Son Heung-min, Emerson Royal and Steven Bergwijn moved them above the Gunners in the table on goal difference.

Mikel Arteta’s men will reclaim fourth spot on Monday night if they take a point from their visit to Crystal Palace, but Spurs are firmly in the race for a Champions League place having seemed out of contention a few weeks ago.

Five wins from the last six games, inspired by the front three of Harry Kane, Son and Dejan Kulusevski, has boosted hopes of a return to Europe’s top tier and their fate could come down to their home game with Arsenal, which has yet to be rearranged.

They were simply too good for the Magpies, who have now lost three in a row and sit nine points above the drop zone.

Eddie Howe’s side came and deployed a tactic that Spurs are known to struggle with as they sat deep and denied the hosts space in the final third.

And it worked for the majority of the first half as although Spurs had plenty of the ball they could not create anything clear-cut.

Then things got even better for the visitors as they went ahead in the 39th minute.

Son fouled Joe Willock on the edge of the area and Schar sent a low free-kick around the wall and past Hugo Lloris, who got a hand to it and was disappointed not to keep it out.

But that was as good as it got for Newcastle as Antonio Conte’s men hit back in style.

They got back on level terms quickly as Davies glanced home from Son’s cross after Spurs recycled a corner.

That gave the hosts the platform to go on in the second half and win the game and they took the opportunity with both hands, scoring three goals in 18 minutes.

Doherty put them ahead in the 48th minute, arriving late at the far post to nod home Kane’s superb ball across the face of the goal.

The goal of the game came six minutes later as Spurs’ in-form front three combined in style.

Kane set Kulusevski free down the right, the Swede picked out Son, who controlled and fired into the corner from 10 yards out.

The fourth goal, in the 63rd minute, came from a more unexpected source as Emerson, only playing because of an injury to Sergio Reguilon, poked home at the near post from Doherty’s cross.

Spurs should have made it five, but Son rolled an effort wide after Kane’s 40-yard pass played him in on goal.

They eventually did score a fifth – for a second time in three home games – as Bergwijn scored two minutes after coming on, slotting home having been sent clear by Lucas Moura.

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KAI HAVERTZ NETS LAST-GASP WINNER AS NERVY CHELSEA END TURBULENT WEEK WITH WIN

Kai Havertz’s fine last-gasp finish sealed a nervy Chelsea’s 1-0 Premier League win over resurgent Newcastle, providing rare distraction from the Blues’ continued fears for their future.

Germany forward Havertz superbly brought down Jorginho’s masterful lofted pass before slotting home, to cut through an otherwise stodgy affair and hand the Blues a fifth successive Premier League win.

Thomas Tuchel’s relief was writ large by the Blues’ German boss launching himself onto the field in exuberant celebration as Havertz netted the winner.

The former Paris St Germain boss spun to the crowd to join the Chelsea fans in a moment that saw all the Blues’ worries on the future drain away for just a split second.

Havertz’s 11th goal of the season proved enough to topple a resolute and disciplined Newcastle, on a day where Chelsea’s off-field problems dominated proceedings from first to last.

But just when the Blues were fretting on a niggling draw, up stepped Havertz to sink Eddie Howe’s robust Newcastle, whose nine-match unbeaten run in the Premier League was ruined in heartbreaking fashion.

Chelsea’s turbulent week ended with the Blues’ experiencing the limbo ushered in by the UK Government sanctions on owner Roman Abramovich for the first time at their west London home.

While Blues bosses continued lobbying Downing Street for a relaxation of Chelsea’s new operating licence, manager Tuchel battled to keep collective squad minds on football matters.

Two prospective Blues owners were even in the crowd, with both Nick Candy and Sir Martin Broughton among those to witness Havertz’s late moment of magic.

Supporters had trouble sticking solely to footballing matters, with no programmes able to be sold at Stamford Bridge, the club shop shut and Blues staff still worrying about their jobs.

Abramovich was sanctioned by the Government on Thursday, with Tory chiefs claiming to have proved the Russian-Israeli billionaire’s links to Vladimir Putin.

The 55-year-old Chelsea owner has always denied links to the Russian President, but the war in Ukraine has provided a major geopolitical shift.

Abramovich’s 19-year and 21-trophy tenure is at an end, with the Government now overseeing Chelsea’s sale amid ever-increasing suitors for the European and world club champions.

In a staccato first half, all the real rhythm came from the opposing supporters’ repartee.

Chelsea’s fans in the main opted against chanting for owner Abramovich, with Tuchel’s name the first to escape Blues lips en masse.

Newcastle’s fans wasted no time in poking the Chelsea bear though, piping up with ‘no noise from the bankrupt boys’.

Chelsea hit back with ‘Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that’, before Newcastle chorused ‘Mike Ashley, he’s coming for you’.

The Chelsea supporters could not resist a riposte of ‘Boris Johnson, he’s coming for you’, before Newcastle had the last word with ‘you only sing when you’re loaded’.

Chelsea’s first effort on target did not come until the 76th minute, when Havertz flicked Hakim Ziyech’s teasing cross goalwards.

Havertz could only trouble Martin Dubravka into a regulation save, but somehow he kept his best for last.

Just when all in Stamford Bridge geared up for the draw, Havertz stole in to tell west London otherwise.

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EDDIE HOWE NAMED BARCLAYS MANAGER OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY

Eddie Howe has claimed February 2022’s Barclays Manager of the Month award after guiding Newcastle United through the month unbeaten.

Howe wins the accolade after leading his side to three victories and a draw in four February matches, as Newcastle moved out of the bottom three for the first time since September and up to 14th.

“A lot questions were asked of our resilience and resolve, and ability to bounce back from what seemed, at some stages, I wouldn’t say impossible, but a very difficult moment and that’s where the players have really stepped up,” Howe said in the video above.

“They deserve a lot of credit for how they’ve attacked this spell of games and confidence has returned with every win.”

Newcastle kicked off the month with a 3-1 home victory against relegation rivals Everton and followed up by another St James’ Park success, a 1-0 triumph over Aston Villa, and he says the fans have made a huge difference.

“The supporters, since I’ve come to the football club, have been absolutely brilliant, home and away. But, the home atmosphere is just so unique. So, you can hear that roar, that feeling.

“It can only hope inspire the players and in those home games that we’ve had, no doubt, it’s made a difference.”

They then fought back to secure a 1-1 draw at West Ham United before finishing the month with a 2-0 win at Brentford.

The 44-year-old topped a four-man shortlist, beating Mikel Arteta, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Jurgen Klopp after votes from the public were combined with those of a panel of football experts.

It is the fourth occasion Howe has claimed the award, having previously won it three times with AFC Bournemouth.

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BRUNO GUIMARAES AND CHRIS WOOD GOALS HAND NEWCASTLE VICTORY

January signings Bruno Guimaraes and Chris Wood scored their first Newcastle goals to help fire Eddie Howe’s side to a sixth win in seven games with a 2-1 win over Southampton at St Mary’s.

Wood ended his longest goal drought in more than six years of 14 games to cancel out Stuart Armstrong’s goal before Guimaraes bagged the winner with a sublime piece of solo skill.

Newcastle handed Brazilian midfielder Guimaraes a first Premier League start since his transfer-window move from Lyon.

Saints, bidding to bounce back from Saturday’s 4-0 thumping at Aston Villa, welcomed back Ghanian centre-back Mohammed Salisu from injury.

Newcastle started brightly, forcing an early corner and with Jacob Murphy fizzing in an inviting cross that Jan Bednarek managed to clear before Wood could reach it.

Saints’ first meaningful attack came in the 20th minute when Oriol Romeu’s raking pass from the halfway line sent Armando Broja racing in behind the Newcastle defence.

Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka did well to come quickly off his line and steal the ball off Broja’s toes and turn it behind.

James Ward-Prowse’s resulting corner found Romeu in space on the edge of the penalty area, but the Spaniard ballooned his shot high over the crossbar.

Broja came close again in the 23rd minute but could only scuff his shot wide after being teed up by strike partner Che Adams following some sloppy play in midfield by Jonjo Shelvey.

Newcastle suddenly looked under pressure and Armstrong fired the home side in front two minutes later.

Kyle Walker-Peters floated in a delicious left-wing cross which was headed back across goal by Mohamed Elyounoussi for Armstrong to nod beyond the exposed Dubravka from four yards.

Saints’ lead lasted just seven minutes before Wood rose above Salisu to head Shelvey’s hanging cross past Fraser Forster to make it 1-1.

Scotland striker Adams then rattled the Newcastle crossbar with a power-packed volley from six yards.

It took an excellent piece of defending from Dan Burn to divert Ward-Prowse’s inswinging cross away from Broja as Saints reacted impressively to conceding.

The last opportunity of an entertaining first half came to Newcastle but midfielder Joe Willock could not keep his header down after arriving late in the Southampton box to meet a Guimaraes cross.

Newcastle were quickest out of the traps after half-time and found themselves in front seven minutes after the re-start.

Former Southampton left-back Matt Targett’s corner was headed down at the far post by Burn and Guimaraes improvised superbly to back-heel the ball into the roof of the net.

The visitors had Dubravka to thank for putting more daylight between them and the bottom three.

The Slovakian made two excellent saves in the closing minutes, first clawing away Salisu’s header and then tipping Armstrong’s long-range effort over the crossbar.

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IN FORM NEWCASTLE SPOIL CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN’S RETURN TO ACTION

Christian Eriksen completed his emotional return to football as he made his Brentford debut as a second-half substitute against Newcastle – but the visitors took the Premier League points with a 2-0 win.

The former Tottenham and Inter Milan midfielder received a huge ovation as he came off the bench in the 52nd minute, 259 days after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland.

The 30-year-old was unable to prevent Brentford being dragged further into the relegation battle following a 2-0 defeat.

But the very fact Eriksen, who revealed he had “died for five minutes” at the Parken Stadion, stepped on the pitch at all was reason enough to celebrate.

Eriksen, who joined Brentford as a free agent in January, is the first Premier League footballer to play fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator.

There was a remarkable symmetry in the fact he came on as a substitute for Mathias Jensen, the Denmark team-mate who replaced Eriksen when he left the field stricken on that harrowing day in June last year.

Eriksen was quick to get involved with his usual neat touches and the occasional incisive pass, but unfortunately the situation into which he was introduced was never likely to produce a fairytale.

The Bees were already trailing 2-0 and down to 10 men when Thomas Frank sent on the man he described as “potentially the greatest ever signing for the club”.

Now Frank must focus his attention on ensuring Eriksen’s six-month stay in west London does not end in relegation.

Another Bees midfielder, Josh Dasilva, was making his first home start in almost exactly a year following injury.

But it lasted just 11 minutes after he attempted to shield the ball only to plant his foot halfway up Matt Targett’s shin.

VAR alerted referee Mike Dean to the incident and having watched the replays – which did not look good – on the pitchside monitor, the official showed Dasilva a straight red card.

The initiative was firmly with Newcastle and they took the lead in the 33rd minute through Joelinton, whose only previous goal this season came against Brentford in the reverse fixture, a 3-3 draw in Eddie Howe’s first game in charge.

Now flourishing in his new midfield role under Howe, the Brazilian arrived at the far post to powerfully head Ryan Fraser’s cross back across David Raya and into the net.

Joe Willock has hardly been prolific either; his equaliser at West Ham last week was his first goal of the season.

But the former Arsenal winger made it two goals in two games when he applied the finish to a bizarre goal which began with an overhit Jensen corner and ended with the Brentford midfielder as the last man as Fabian Schar raced forward, before feeding Willock to slot home.

Eriksen’s entrance may have lifted the crowd, but it was another tough afternoon for his new side, who fell to a seventh defeat in eight matches to slip below rising Newcastle and ever closer to the bottom three.