Chris Wood returned to haunt Newcastle with a stunning hat-trick as Nottingham Forest gifted new boss Nuno Espirito Santo his first Premier League win of his reign.
Wood, for whom the Magpies’ new owners paid Burnley £25million last January to avoid relegation, capitalised on poor defending to score a treble that ended his former club’s seven-game winning run at St James’ Park and condemned them to a sixth defeat in seven games in all competitions.
The 3-1 victory was little more than the visitors deserved on a day when Eddie Howe’s men, who had led through a controversial Alexander Isak penalty, were torn apart by Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White in front of an incredulous crowd of 52,207 spectators.
The victory on Tyneside boosted Forest’s hopes of survival, but left a big question mark over Newcastle’s chances of repeating last year’s top four finish, as they still have away games at Liverpool and Manchester City at St James’, and then an FA Cup third round match against Sunderland.
The Magpies came away determined to respond to Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Luton, and their early pressure paid off after 23 minutes when Isak beat goalkeeper Matt Turner from the penalty spot after defender Murillo was harshly adjudged to have fouled the striker as he turned a pass from Anthony Gordon.
Elanga, who had been tormenting full-back Dan Burn throughout, hit the post after a long throw from Moussa Niakhate, and the former Manchester United winger should have scored 12 minutes before the break when he got in behind Burn on the right but could not find a way past Martin Dubravka.
Isak saw a cheeky chip attempt denied by Turner at the near post, but Miguel Almiron slipped at the end of a deft team move and the Magpies were made to pay for missed chances in the first half.
Almiron gained possession on the edge of the visitors’ box but failed to pick out a teammate, allowing Gibbs-White to sprint upfield and find Elang, who handed Wood the simplest of tasks to equalise.
It could have been worse for the hosts within seconds of the restart when Gibbs-White headed over a dangerous Elang cross as Newcastle looked increasingly vulnerable.
Dubravka breathed a sigh of relief when Elanga fired straight at him after Gibbs-White had again caused panic among the home defenders, but the Swedish international made amends in the 53rd minute when he pushed the ball into Wood’s path and watched as the striker turned Burn inside before lifting his shot over Dubravka and into the net.
Howe quickly replaced Burn and Almiron with Tina Livramento and Callum Wilson, but his side were again frustrated on the hour when Murillo’s through ball split a ragged defence and Wood deftly stepped around a painfully exposed Dubravka to complete his hat-trick.
Isak saw a shot deflected over in the 67th minute and Lewis Miley narrowly missed the target two minutes later and Howe’s men tried to get back into the game but were met with fierce resistance and devastating counter-attacks, but the damage was done and there was no way back.