Newcastle United eased some of the concerns surrounding their early-season form with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

For Eddie Howe, it was an important three points, but the performance also highlighted ongoing areas for improvement.

The Magpies have had a mixed start to the campaign.

While their Champions League adventure produced a resounding 4-0 victory over Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise last week, the Premier League has been more testing.

Before the Forest clash, Newcastle were near the bottom of the table in expected goals created, their attack lacking sharpness despite the arrival of high-profile summer signings such as Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.

Sunday’s victory, alongside the midweek European triumph, suggested signs of improvement.

Howe’s side have now scored six without reply across their last two matches, showing greater cohesion in both attack and defence.

Importantly, these results came despite a growing injury list.

Full-backs Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall are both facing extended spells on the sidelines, Wissa is yet to even train for the club, and Ramsey is only just nearing a return.

Squad depth will be vital if Newcastle are to juggle the demands of domestic and European competition.

Newcastle's performance vs Forest in numbers

The win over Nottingham Forest was, in many respects, Newcastle’s most complete attacking performance of the Premier League season so far.

The Magpies generated an expected goals tally of 3.28 – their highest in a single match this campaign – and created six big chances while taking 18 shots. On another day, the margin of victory could have been far greater.

Bruno Guimarães was the standout performer.

Wearing the captain’s armband, the Brazilian midfielder dictated the tempo and constantly found space to progress play.

He scored a wonderful curling strike from outside the area in the 58th minute to break the deadlock and later won the penalty, courtesy of a foul by former Newcastle player Elliot Anderson, that Woltemade converted to seal the points.

Guimarães’ match rating, via Sofascore, of 9.4 reflected his dominance.

Elsewhere, however, not everything clicked – Newcastle’s wingers continue to underwhelm.

Both Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga found it difficult to impose themselves, struggling to provide consistent service into the box. The latter walked from the field after 70 minutes having delivered just one accurate cross from nine attempts. He also only won three of his 12 duels.

Howe will be concerned by their lack of productivity, especially given the volume of chances wasted.

The positives outweighed the negatives on this occasion, but the game underlined that Newcastle are still searching for fluency in certain areas of the pitch.

Joelinton's struggles vs Forest

One of the more disappointing displays came from Joelinton.

The Brazilian midfielder has become a divisive figure within the Newcastle fanbase, admired for his physicality and work rate but also criticised for his inconsistency.

Against Forest, like Elanga and Gordon, he struggled to impact the game in a positive way.

He registered 50 touches and attempted 35 passes, completing 32 of them with a strong 91% accuracy.

However, his influence largely stopped there. He failed to complete a single dribble, won only two of his seven ground duels, and missed a big chance in the first half.

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His tendency to concede unnecessary fouls also stood out, with three infringements breaking up momentum and handing Forest opportunities to relieve pressure.

At times, Joelinton looked more focused on disrupting the opposition than building play.

Joelinton vs. Forest

Match Rating

6.7

Minutes Played

89

Expected Goals

0.49

Expected Assists

0.02

Big Chances Missed

1

Source: Sofascore

He lost possession four times and rarely provided the driving runs that have made him such an effective marauding presence in midfield.

Substituted for Lewis Miley, his performance was a reminder that fatigue may be playing a role – with Newcastle now playing every few days due to Champions League and domestic cup commitments, he appears less able to sustain his usual high-intensity style.

For Howe, the return of Jacob Ramsey cannot come soon enough.

The England U21 international is expected to challenge directly for Joelinton’s spot, and his arrival could provide both competition and inspiration.

Joelinton has shown before that he can rise to the occasion when pushed; now, he may need that extra spark to rediscover his best form.

While there is plenty to work on, Newcastle’s recent results have helped ease the pressure that was beginning to mount.

Back-to-back wins, six goals scored, and two clean sheets point towards progress, even if performances are not yet polished.

Howe has weathered the early storm, but the weeks ahead will test just how deep and adaptable this Newcastle squad really is.