Newcastle thrash Fulham as Almirón grabs double and Chalobah sees red

Marco Silva may have suffered worse days as manager but probably not many. Nathaniel Chalobah’s sending off eight minutes into his first Premier League start for more than two years allowed Newcastle to secure only their second victory of the season as Fulham’s early momentum came to a shuddering halt.

Goals from Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff and two either side of half-time from Miguel Almirón, including an outstanding volley, ensured that Eddie Howe’s side moved above their opponents in the top half of the table and gave their travelling supporters an afternoon to remember. For Silva - who also saw top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic limp off before half-time with a suspected ankle injury - it was an unwanted reminder that his side remain extremely vulnerable in defence despite playing the majority of the match with 10 men after Chalobah was shown the earliest red card of the Premier League season so far.

Newcastle’s failure to record a victory since Wilson’s goal helped see off Nottingham Forest back at the start of August led to a recall for the England striker in place of record signing Alexander Isak, who picked up an injury on international duty. Howe also handed starts to Sven Botman, Jacob Murphy and Longstaff, while Silva made four changes from their win over Forest that included a debut for Paris Saint-Germain’s Layvin Kurzawa at left-back.

Yet if Fulham came into the game fancying their chances of extending their excellent start following promotion last season, those plans were ruined when Chalobah flew recklessly into a tackle on Longstaff. Joe Willock had already needed treatment after former Newcastle defender Kevin Mbabu upended him inside the opening two minutes but referee Darren England was given no choice