Matthias Jaissle said:

"A step in the right direction after the last performance. That's something we can really build on.

On the equaliser:

"It’s slapstick, I would say. Fortune was also not there in that situation. We controlled everything. It was nothing where we were not focused. Many bodies in the box. It happens.

"These situations at the moment are not going on our side. We need to work on it. Today we made definitely the right step. That gives us confidence now, when the guys hopefully come back healthy from their national teams.”

Alvaro Arbeloa said:

"We want to be a team that plays in a way that we like to play but, for me, the most important thing is our principle and our character, our mentality, and we have to be a team that always fights until the end, even in the worst condition.

“And we did it pretty well. Obviously, when you are playing at home it's easier because our supporters help us a lot, but I am really proud of the response of the players.

"For me, the best thing about this team is we are learning. Because in the first two, three games, we played well, but we had some problems with the transition, and we are controlling much, much better now.

"Against Man United, against Ipswich, we had some problems when we scored the first goal, and the last minutes we didn't control the game as we wanted to do it, and now I think we are playing much better until the last minute.

"We are a new team, we are progressing. Small steps, but for me as a coach, what I see from my players is they are learning, they are improving, and we are working hard.

"It's going to be a long season, and every week is going to be very, very hard, but I think we are in the right track.

"(It was) really important (for Rodrigo Muniz to score). I felt that the game was for him, because Newcastle were marking us man to man, so we have space in front, and they forced us to play long balls, and I think Rodrigo is very strong in this situation.

"He scored one goal, but they could only stop him with fouls, so I think he did really well. I think it's very important for us, and for me, because I need a player like Rodrigo that can score goal, but he can create so many chances for us.”

Newcastle extended their unbeaten run in London this season to four games on Saturday, but their 100% record in the capital ended after surrendering the lead within three second minutes on the banks of the Thames.

Fulham old boy Dan Burn looked to have given United a 33rd minute when getting on the end of Jacob Murphy's right wing cross, only for the goal to be disallowed when Yoane Wissa was harshly deemed to have impeded Timothy Castagne - although it's debatable whether it would have mattered.

Murphy was one of a quartet of changes to the starting line-up that failed to lay a glove on Everton last Monday; he, Wissa, Malick Thiaw and Sean Steur stepping up as Anthony Elanga, Joe Willock, Fabian Schar and Joelinton made way.

While a long way short of impressive, that revised selection had at least offered more of a threat to a Fulham side who were unbeaten in three games after conceding just once.

Harvey Barnes was twice denied by Bernd Leno and struck the goal frame after the break, while the game remained scoreless at the interval thanks to Lukas Hornick's 37th intervention to acrobatically turn away Josh King's shot.

The blue-clad visitors looked to have won the game with ten minutes remaining thanks a moment of genius of Murphy, who intercepted a loose crossfield pass and held off two defenders before curling in a glorious left-footed strike.

However that lead was almost immediately surrendered as William Osula lost possession in another failed attempt at winning a free kick and Fulham countered - the ball taking a deflection off Thiaw to give substitute Rodrigo Muniz sight of goal and then a second one off Burn to help his improvised effort elude Hornicek.

There were chances for both sides to win the game; Mathias Fernandez-Pardo leaving a chance in front of goal to Lewis Hall whose shot lacking power and Hornicek making an eye-catching block to deny Ryan Sessegnon in added time.

There's an inevitable frustration about turning three points into one, but given the rottenness of both displays against Everton and our poor form here in recent seasons this was a welcome draw between two sides lacking a goalscorer.

That point gave Matthias Jaissle's side 12 from their opening 10 games - matching Eddie Howe's total in 2025/26. Parity however may prove to be fleeting if results don't improve after the International break - and the prospect of then facing Arsenal and Brighton means that the visits of Manchester United and the mackems may reasonably considered pivotal. Lose them and it's all up for grabs. 

As spectacular as our goal was today - another end of season poll candidate with Sven Botman's at Coventry - the nuts and bolts stuff of posing some sort of threat in the opposition box isn't there.

The ineptness and impotence of our forwards is of deepening concern and today obscured what was a more controlled display - goalkeeper and defenders too often forced into speculative balls through a lack of movement in front of them. 

Profligacy in front of goal is one thing, a failure to get into scoring positions something else - the only metric we've improved on this season is in reducing the number of times we're caught offside, by the simple expedient of not getting far enough up the pitch.

Today's slipshod shifts from Wissa and Osula almost defied description - the former phoning in another non-performance, the latter almost comically incapable of heading the ball. Murphy eclipsing Elanga again in goals and assists may bring fleeting relief, but is nothing to be particularly optimistic about.

Biffa