Former Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has dissected the Magpies’ 2–1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, revealing where he believes things went wrong for Eddie Howe’s side. Speaking on Match of the Day, Shearer didn’t hold back in his assessment, singling out the midfield as a major reason behind the disappointing performance at the Amex Stadium.
Newcastle fell to their first away defeat of the season as Danny Welbeck struck twice to overturn Nick Woltemade’s opener. While Howe defended his team selection after the game, Shearer questioned the effectiveness and energy levels of his midfield trio — Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, and Sandro Tonali — all of whom had just returned from international duty.
“Too Easy to Play Through,” Says Alan Shearer
“I thought Brighton were the better team,” Alan Shearer said. “Newcastle were too easy to play through at times. Brighton consistently found the extra man in front of the back four.”
Alan Shearer highlighted a key statistic that underscored his concern — Newcastle’s midfield covered 6km less ground than Brighton’s when out of possession. “That tells you everything you need to know,” he added. “Whether it was Joelinton and Bruno travelling back from Asia or Tonali playing for Italy, it was just unusual for Newcastle. Those were the first goals they’ve conceded away from home this season.”
Using a series of clips, Shearer showed how Newcastle’s structure was repeatedly exposed by Brighton’s sharp passing and movement. As Georginio Rutter set up Welbeck for the opener, Shearer commented: “That’s a brilliant ball through and a clever finish. It happened multiple times — Brighton’s midfield just played around Newcastle.”
Howe Defends Team Selection Amid Fatigue Concerns
After the defeat, Eddie Howe defended his decision to start his senior midfielders, explaining that possible replacements Lewis Miley and Jacob Ramsey were not fully fit. “Miley hadn’t trained for two weeks and Ramsey is only just back from a long layoff,” Howe said.
Both, however, made the bench, with 18-year-old Miley coming on at halftime to replace Joelinton. The youngster impressed immediately, providing the assist for Woltemade’s goal and injecting much-needed energy into the midfield.
“Bruno had a much better second half,” Howe noted. “It wasn’t just fatigue — we made changes, and the performance improved.”
Newcastle now turn their attention to Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Benfica, where Howe faces another difficult selection decision as he looks to balance freshness with experience.
