There was an air of inevitably coming into the game; Fulham had won nine at home, Newcastle lost as many on the road. Of course this one would end in the visitors taking home all three points.
Trips away from St James’ Park have been trying for Eddie Howe’s side, and their three before Saturday will surely have been a point of concern in the Magpies’ continued bid to secure European football.
But despite their ongoing injury crisis rearing its ugly head once more to claim Joe Willock, Howe will be delighted not so much by his side’s performance, but by the result they earned in spite of it to stay within a point of West Ham.
A Willian-inspired Fulham ran those left standing for Newcastle ragged with chance after chance after chance, sweeping from one end to the other with precision, but went in at the break with nothing to show for their efforts.
The visitors then flew out of the traps after the interval, and with Anthony Gordon leading the attack, they slowly but surely clawed their way back into the tie, before Guimaraes decisive strike, leaving the hosts rueing their missed chances.
Bruno Guimaraes scored the only goal of the game to see Newcastle beat Fulham 1-0
Fabian Schar scored in the 75th minute of the game but his goal was disallowed by VAR
The Newcastle and Fulham players swarmed the referee as the decision was being made
Marco Silva’s programme notes bemoaned his side’s lack of aggression in their midweek defeat to Nottingham Forest – that was not a concern for the hosts on Saturday.
Antonee Robinson had the first chance of the match, cutting inside the box and firing a tame effort at the near post, duly stopped by Martin Dubravka, before a flurry of shots from Willian.
The Brazilian, whose legend has perhaps waned with each passing year since leaving Chelsea, was at the heart of everything good from Fulham, and was a man reborn at Craven Cottage.
Behind him in the queue was Joao Palhinha, the janitorial midfielder who unscrupulously swept and mopped up any stray ball. His effort trickled just wide before Andreas Pereira came within a slightly better-timed leap of his second of the season, all within the first 17 minutes.
Newcastle remained patient out of possession, and got their first opening in the 32nd minute, with danger man Alexander Isak slipped in behind but Bernd Leno was out like a flash to quell the threat, Gordon getting his first shot just five minutes later as the visitors began to show signs of waking up.
An injury to Joe Willock saw Elliot Anderson introduced as Fulham’s dominance persisted as the hosts continued to pen back the Magpies, and went in at the break truly on top after one of their most impressive halves of the season.
But for all that, it was Newcastle that came out the stronger after the break, Gordon stinging the palms of Leno with a wicked curling strike inside the box, his case for a spot on the plane to Germany growing stronger with each passing game.
Where Fulham had been able to waltz up the field on a whim in the first half they found a Magpies midfield pressing them higher up the pitch and restricting their boundless zip and vigour.
Pereira did manage a shot from the edge of the box – after some fine work from Timothy Castagne – to breathe some confidence into a crowd growing cagier by the minute, but the hosts were still unable to truly test Dubravka.
For the second time in five days Silva decided to make a triple change, although this time in somewhat different circumstances. Adama Traore injected his trademark pace, brawn and power into the attack and duly stormed his way through half the Newcastle team.
Newcastle thought they had picked up the winner on 75 minutes, Fabian Schar’s close-range effort ruled out by VAR for a foul from Dan Burn on Calvin Bassey inside the box, but out of the jaws of deflation, Guimaraes reinstated the visitors’ elation.
The Magpies flooded forward in search of that winner, and it was Guimaraes who was sharpest on the edge of the box to fire home after an effort was deflected from Harvey Barnes, the Brazilian thumping home low and hard before wheeling off in celebration.
The hosts continued to fight back, and to their credit maintained their composure and drive, but time ran out for Silva’s side, and the manager will be wondering just how his side did not get a goal back at their fortress.
Newcastle United are sitting eighth in the Premier League table, Fulham 13th
There was an air of inevitably coming into the game; Fulham had won nine at home, Newcastle lost as many on the road. Of course this one would end in the visitors claiming all the points
