Newcastle Maintain Pressure on Postecoglou With Win Over Nottingham Forest

Bruno Guimaraes and Nick Woltemade fired Newcastle United to victory against Nottingham Forest to maintain the pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou.
Postecoglou’s winless start at Nottingham Forest continued at St James’ Park after his side suffered another defeat following Thursday night’s loss against Midtjylland in the Europa League.
Guimaraes opened the scoring before the hour mark with a curling effort from just outside the box.
Nottingham Forest players surrounded referee Peter Bankes, having deemed Guimaraes to have fouled Morgan Gibbs-White in the build-up, but the goal stood.
Newcastle, the Premier League’s lowest goalscorers before this game, had struggled to find a way past Forest up until that point.
But the hosts pushed for a second and Nottingham Forest keeper Matz Sels had to be alert to tip over Sandro Tonali’s cushioned volley, while record signing Woltemade lashed the ball off the underside of the crossbar from the resulting corner.
Sels also made big saves to deny Malick Thiaw and Harvey Barnes late on, before Woltemade sealed the win from the spot after Elliot Anderson brought down Guimaraes inside the box.
Postecoglou was subjected to chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” from Newcastle fans as the hosts recorded their second league win of the season to leave Nottingham Forest in 17th.
Momentum. That is what Newcastle have been desperately searching for.
Having seen his side record their biggest ever Champions League win against Union Saint-Gilloise in midweek, it was of little surprise that head coach Eddie Howe named an unchanged side yesterday.
Newcastle did not look as dynamic at St James’ Park as they did in Brussels. Nothing summed up the hosts’ lack of edge in the first half quite like Joelinton firing well wide from the halfway line.
But captain Guimaraes stepped up in the second half – not only did the Brazilian put Newcastle ahead, he won the penalty to seal the victory.
Woltemade converted the spot-kick, becoming just the third Newcastle player to score in each of his first three Premier League home games for the club after Les Ferdinand in 1995 and Alan Shearer in 1996.
It sealed an important victory.