Here's how Newcastle's players rated in the home defeat to Brighton:

6 Pope: Let down by defence for goal. Made a couple of good second half saves.

6 Livramento: Spent first half an hour in Brighton half. Muscled out of one chance and shrugged off by Wellbeck for goal.

5 Schar: Has to do better for Brighton’s goal. Allows Wellbeck to take the ball down and turn and the one-two is too easy.

6 Burn: Brilliant second half block to deny Mitoma. Scored in stoppage time but ruled out for offside.

6 Hall: Untroubled defensively in the first half and linked up well with Bruno. Caught out a couple of times after the break.

7 Bruno: Set Isak away in first half and Gordon in the second. Looked most likely to make something happen.

6 Tonali: Helped Newcastle dominate the early exchanges. Involved in build-up to key Isak chance.

5 Joelinton: Plenty of energy but struggled to make things happen for Newcastle.

5 Murphy: Lively early on as Newcastle set good early tempo but faded and replaced.

6 Gordon: No shortage of effort but didn’t happen for him in front of goal. Denied a couple of times by good saves but should have done better with second half chance when played through by Schar.

5 Isak: Wasn’t the striker’s day. Missed glorious first half chance just before Wellbeck opener and didn’t make the most of several second half opportunities. Looks way short of his best.

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Substitutes:

6 Barnes (for Murphy, 65): No magic from the bench on this occasion.

6 Willock (for Tonali, 65): Struggled to get into the game.

Longstaff (for Bruno, 85) N/A

Almiron (for Gordon, 85) N/A

Osula (for Hall, 92) N/A

Subs not used: Odysseas, Krafth, Kelly, Miley

BRIGHTON: Verbruggen 8, Veltman 7, Dunk 7, Igor 7, Kadioglu 7, Baleba 6 (Wieffer, 72), Ayari 7 (Encisco, 81), Hinshelwood 7, Rutter 7 (Estupinan, 72) Ferguson 6 (Mitoma, 60) Welbeck 7 (van Hecke, 81)

Subs not used: Steele, Lamptey, Gruda, Moder,

Man of the Match: Verbruggen. Made a string of crucial stops to frustrate Newcastle.