Watford have claimed an impressive 3-0 win over a lacklustre Newcastle United side in Saturday's Premier League encounter at St James' Park.
Will Hughes was on the scoresheet for a second successive Premier League game and opened the scoring for Marco Silva's charges.
Magpies defender DeAndre Yedlin then scored an own goal on the stroke of half-time before Andre Gray added a third just after the hour.
The result sees the Magpies slip down to 13th in the table as they succumbed to a fourth league defeat in a row, while Watford climbed to eighth place.
Here is how Sports Mole covered the action on Tyneside.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of today's Premier League encounter between Newcastle United and Watford!
Today's clash at St James' Park will see the Magpies try to get back to winning ways after a downturn in form which has seen them lose three games on the trot.
Watford had also lost three in a row prior to last week's game, where they beat West Ham United, but will be concerned over the future of manager Marco Silva, who is believed to be on the radar of Everton.
Newcastle enjoyed a bright start to the season but their downturn in form has seen them slip to 12th place in the table so they will be eager to pull away from the lower echelons of the table - and things are pretty tight with just six points separating 10th from 18th - while Watford will want to pull closer to the top seven, with a four-point gap between themselves in eighth and seventh-placed Burnley.
Team news are through from Tyneside, so let's have a look at who will be lining up today.
NEWCASTLE STARTING XI: Elliot, Yedlin, Lejeune, Clark, Manquillo, Murphy, Shelvey, Diame, Ritchie, Gayle, Joselu
WATFORD STARTING XI: Gomes, Britos, Kabasele, Mariappa, Femeina, Cleverley, Zeegelar, Doucoure, Huges, Richarlison, Gray
NEWCASTLE SUBS: Darlow, Aarons, Perez, Mbemba, Merino, Gamez, Mitrovic
WATFORD SUBS: Karnezis, Janmaat, Prodl, Watson, Carrillo, Capoue, Pereyra
Rafael Benitez has made one change from the side that lost 4-1 to Manchester United last time out, with Mohamed Diame coming into the starting XI for Isaac Hayden, who is suspended.
Paul Dummett remains out with a hamstring injury but Mikel Merino is available again after recovering from a back injury, although he is not risked from the off and will begin the game on the bench.
Merino, who joined in the summer from Borussia Dortmund, has not featured since scoring the winner against Crystal Palace last month and Newcastle have lost all three games in his absence, so Benitez will have to think very carefully about how quickly to ease the Spaniard back into the fold.
Hornets boss Marco Silva, meanwhile, names an unchanged XI from the side that beat West Ham 2-0 at Vicarage Road on Sunday.
Kiko Femenia starts after he was forced off with cramp last weekend, while Heurelho Gomes continues to captain the side in the absence of the suspended Troy Deeney.
Deeney will serve the final game of a three-match ban, while defenders Craig Cathcart and Younes Kaboul, midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah and forward Isaac Success are still out injured. Stefano Okaka is a late absence, missing out due to a calf injury sustained in training.
Both Newcastle and Watford have some off-pitch distractions at present. Magpies owner Mike Ashley has put the club up for sale and discussions with financier Amanda Staveley are believed to be in progress, though one report has suggested that Ashley has rejected two offers from Staveley's firm PCP Capital Partners.
The takeover talk has been the subject of discussion at Benitez's pre-match press conference this week - and the Spaniard's previous disputes with Ashley regarding club transfer policy and budget are well documented - but the former Liverpool boss has stressed that the main focus for him and his players is what happens on the pitch.
Benitez told reporters: "For me, I have to prepare the team to make sure we're ready. But in terms of news, whether it has been done or rejected it doesn't affect us and we're not talking about it. The players aren't talking about it. I was talking to three players today, but we were talking about last night's Europa League. We don't talk about that (the takeover), we concentrate on the things we can affect with the performance of the team. We can't change anything."
Watford, meanwhile, boast one of the Premier League's most promising young managers in Marco Silva, who has impressed since arriving in England earlier this year and taking the Hull City reins before joining the Hornets in the summer, but Everton - currently on the lookout for a new head coach after dismissing Ronald Koeman - are believed to be interested in the Portuguese's services.
Multiple media reports suggested that the 40-year-old emerged as the prime target for Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, but the Toffees reportedly had an approach for the Watford manager firmly rejected by their Premier League rivals.
Silva, meanwhile, declined to pledge his long-term future to Watford both before and after the home win against West Ham, and has continued to bat away questions on the matter, telling reporters ahead of today's match: "I don't like to talk about speculation about these things. I'm here to talk about our match, about Newcastle-Watford, nothing more. Sometimes I talk and after it is going the other way. I don't give one more word about this situation."
HEAD TO HEAD: What precedent is there between these two sides? Let's find out.
Newcastle and Watford have met 40 times over the years, the first fixture coming on 23 February 1924 in the FA Cup. On that day, Newcastle won 1-0 at Vicarage Road, outside-left Stan Seymour scoring the winning goal.
Newcastle have lost just one of their last 12 home league games against Watford, winning eight and drawing three, though their lone defeat did come in the last meeting between the two at St James' Park, in September 2015.
Watford won both league games against Newcastle United in the 2015-16 campaign, but they've never previously managed to beat them in three consecutive league meetings, so we could have some history made today.
In all competitions, Watford beat Newcastle three times in 2015-16, including an FA Cup third-round tie - one of just 10 occasions that the Hornets have beaten the same side at least three times within the same season.
The overall head-to-head record ahead of kickoff today stands at 15 Newcastle wins, 12 Watford wins, and 13 draws.
Newcastle have lost their last three league games, scoring once, but are unbeaten in four of their last five home matches.
SCORE PREDICTION: Time for me to hazard a guess at today's result. I personally think there's very little between these two sides and can see a tight game with both sides cancelling each other out, so I'm going to say 1-1.
Just five minutes until kickoff here at St James' Park, both sets of players are preparing to head out onto the pitch.
Jonjo Shelvey and Heurelho Gomes lead the two sides out, with Christopher Kavanagh the referee this afternoon.
KICKOFF! We're underway as Cleverley kicks off for Watford!
A bright start from Newcastle as Murphy gets forward for the hosts and makes it into the box but Kabasele weighs in with a good tackle to thwart the move, there are some half-hearted shouts for a penalty from the crowd but play continues.
CHANCE! Again it's Newcastle who threaten as Murphy gets down the left and threads the ball through to Joselu in the box, but from a great position, the striker skews his effort before it hits him on the standing leg and goes wide. Looked like the chance caught him off guard.
The visitors mount their first meaningful attack down the right but Clark is on hand to cut the ball out for a throw-in. Moments later the Hornets win a corner after Richarlison's direct play but Yedlin does enough to clear at the far post.
Hughes is penalised for a flailing arm into the face of Lejeune, giving away a free kick on the far right of Newcastle's half, while Femenia is also down after a 50-50 with Diame, but all the players involved are able to continue.
Another Watford corner from the far side is sent in by Cleverley, it's cleared by Newcastle but only as far as Hughes, who tries to dink the ball back into the box and towards Richarlison but the Brazilian fails to connect and the hosts can get the danger away properly.
CHANCE! The closest chance we've had so far in this game and it comes the way of Newcastle, with Murphy feeding the ball up Ritchie at the top of the box, the midfielder then cuts inside onto his left foot and lets rip towards the near post, but it strikes the side netting!
CHANCES! Moments after Newcastle fashion another great chance through Yedlin and Gayle, Watford launch forward and Richarlison bursts into the box on the right flank before flashing the ball across the face of goal but Elliot is able to palm the ball wide!
BOOKING: Shelvey is shown a yellow card for a clumsy, needless challenge from behind on Britos.
GOAL! NEWCASTLE 0-1 WATFORD (WILL HUGHES)
We have the breakthrough at St James' Park and it falls for the visitors as Kabasele plays in Zeegelaar, who makes way down the left and cuts the ball back for Hughes, who finishes low into the bottom-left corner for his second goal in a week!
CHANCE! Watford waste a great opportunity to double their lead instantly after Zeegelaar delivers a great pass into the path of Doucoure, who is unmarked as he charges into the box, but he fluffs his lines and skews the effort wide!
CHANCE! Now here come Newcastle as Joselu creates room for a shot from the left-hand side of the box, only to see his effort blocked by Kabasele!
BOOKING: We have our second yellow of the game and it's now one apiece for both sides as Watford's Zeegelaar is cautioned for a foul on Ritchie to prevent Newcastle from breaking.
Shelvey shows great vision to pick out Gayle in the box with a long forward ball, but the Newcastle forward is flagged for offside.
Hughes pulls Manquillo down on the left touchline and gets a talking-to from the ref, but no card shown.
Watford launch a threatening attack but Diame gets back, dispossesses Richarlison and triggers a Newcastle counter-attack, but it's thwarted as Murphy goes down and the referee waves for play to continue.
CHANCE! Watford launch a counter-attack of their own and Newcastle are caught out at the back as Lejeune fails to clear a ball whipped into the box by Cleverley which falls to Gray and, although Elliot forces a fine save, the flag had already gone up for offside.
CHANCE! Now Newcastle turn the screw as Ritchie feeds the ball through to Joselu, who has time to attempt a shot into the far corner, but Gomes does well to fingertip the ball wide!
Continued pressure from the hosts but without the final product once again as Manquillo curls a cross into the box from the left flank, but Gomes reads it well and swiftly comes out to collect.
CHANCE!Ritchie whips a cross in which comes off the back of a defender before Joselu claims and slips the ball into the path of Shelvey on the edge of the box, but the Magpies captain's decision to go for goal ends up with the ball sailing high above the bar.
A quiet end to the half following the frantic pace of the previous 40 or so minutes, as one minute of added time is declared.
GOAL! NEWCASTLE 0-2 WATFORD (DEANDRE YEDLIN OWN GOAL)
HALF TIME: NEWCASTLE 0-2 WATFORD
What a sucker punch against Newcastle right on the stroke of half time! Just seconds before the break, Zeegelaar sends a low delivery into the box and Yedlin sticks a foot out, but diverts the ball into his own net!
The half-time whistle blew just after that goal and it's an awful time for Newcastle to concede, with Benitez's intended half-time talk having to be scrapped as the Magpies now need to come back from two down.
Newcastle were arguably the better side for the majority of the first half, but they've been toothless in the final third, with Heurelho Gomes having little to do in the face of poor attacks. At the other end, there have been far too many errors and mishaps from the Magpies, with the Hornets fully deserving of their lead.
That said, Watford haven't exactly been watertight at the back either, and a more clinical side than Newcastle would have punished them, but as it stands, Marco Silva will be able to regroup his charges and, providing they don't suffer a collapse or Newcastle significantly up their game in the second half, they're well on their way to a second win on the trot against a side heading towards a fourth defeat in a row.
HALF TIME STATS: Newcastle have enjoyed 53% possession and mustered three shots, two of which were on target, with a total pass tally of 213 and three corners won. Watford, meanwhile, have 47% possession, weighed in with five shots, with two on target, 187 passes and three corners.
. @WatfordFC maintain their record of scoring 2 goals in all of their away PL matches this season pic.twitter.com/HaoPZWaNNN — Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) 25 November 2017
KICKOFF: Newcastle get the second half underway at St James' Park with a mountain to climb.
Newcastle are quick out of the starting blocks as Gayle curls the ball into the box from the left flank, Ritchie rises to try and connect but it's just too high for him.
CHANCE! Gray misses a gilt-edged chance to put his side three up as Zeegelaar threads the ball into the striker's path as he bears down into the box from the left flank, but Gray's left-footed shot ends up going well wide of the near post!
SUBSTITUTION: Watford make their first change as Miguel Britos, still reeling from an earlier earlier tackle, is replaced by Sebastian Prodl.
CHANCE! Another great opportunity for Watford to kill the game off but Richarlison's great work in making headway down the pitch is ruined as he opts to go for goal instead of whipping the ball across to Gray and is hustled out of possession, and although his teammate is able to reclaim the ball, his attempt is charged down by Manquillo.
CHANCE! Murphy strides forward and plays the ball out to Ritchie on the right, who in turn gets into position and whips a cross into the box where Murphy tries to head goalwards, but the effort goes wide!
Newcastle win a corner after making their way down the right, where Yedlin's attempted cross was diverted behind, but Ritchie's delivery is easily dealt with.
GOAL! NEWCASTLE 0-3 WATFORD (ANDRE GRAY)
That's pretty much game over for Newcastle, who have been humbled in front of their own fans as Watford claim a third through Andre Gray, who's missed numerous chances but finally gets onto the scoresheet! Richarlison once again does brilliantly to surge down the left and send the ball into the box, where the striker is on hand to poke home into the back of the net!
Barring a miraculous comeback from Newcastle, they're on the way to a fourth consecutive defeat, and have also conceded seven goals in less than two games. The prospective takeover talks and whatever outcome they bring, plus the January transfer window, will prove crucial if Benitez is to strengthen his ranks.
Newcastle launch forward as Murphy plays in Joselu down the right of the box, but the forward's attempt to prod home on the slide is kept out by Gomes.
SUBSTITUTION: Newcastle make two changes as Mohamed Diame and Joselu come off for Mikel Merino and Aleksandr Mitrovic, prompting cheers from the crowd.
Newcastle are trying desperately to claw something back from this game but the Watford back line is repelling all attempts, with Gomes collecting a tame Mitrovic effort after a good through-ball from Shelvey.
SUBSTITUTION: Another change for Newcastle as Jacob Murphy is replaced by Ayoze Perez.
Newcastle win a free kick near the top of the box now after a Cleverley tackle on Perez which Clark delivers but Watford do well to clear their lines.
SUBSTITUTION: Watford now make a change as Richarlison makes way for Roberto Pereyra.
CHANCE! Newcastle have not given up hope of at least salvaging some pride here as Shelvey whips a free kick into the box and Mitrovic looks to get onto the end of it but his attempted poked effort is kept out and then held by Gomes.
CHANCE! Newcastle have not given up hope of at least salvaging some pride here as Shelvey whips a free kick into the box and Mitrovic looks to get onto the end of it but his attempted poked effort is kept out and then held by Gomes.
Gray finds himself one-on-one with Elliot, but his scooped effort is tame and the Newcastle goalkeeper claims.
SUBSTITUTION: Another Watford change as Will Hughes makes way and Andre Carrillo comes on.
CHANCE! Cleverley finds himself in space at the top of the box and tries his luck, but it rises high over the crossbar as three minutes are added on.
FULL TIME: NEWCASTLE UNITED 0-3 WATFORD
And that's the full time whistle as Newcastle fall to a heavy 3-0 defeat at the hands of Watford, who stay eighth in the Premier League table, while Newcastle slip to 13th after a poor showing for a fourth loss in a row!
Written by
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte
