Issa Diop ended a long wait and Fulham ended Newcastle’s season with a 2-0 win at Craven Cottage on the final day. Diop struck in the first half after Kevin’s free-kick came back off the bar, and Tom Cairney sealed it with a 25-yard effort from a corner after coming off the bench.
The result lifted Fulham above Newcastle and left Eddie Howe’s side in 12th place, their worst finish since Steve Bruce’s final season in 2020/21. It was also Diop’s first Premier League goal since 2022, a timely finish for a defender whose header came at the exact moment Fulham were controlling the game without much fuss.
Cairney, 35, was named Player of the Match after making an impact off the bench, while Marco Silva also gave late minutes to Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez. For Newcastle, Anthony Gordon was an unused substitute for the fourth game in a row, a sign of a season that has drifted badly by the finish line.
Howe tried to change the shape at half-time, replacing Jacob Murphy with Harvey Barnes, but the game never turned in Newcastle’s favour. Afterward, he said it was a disappointing performance for a whole host of reasons and that his team were not at the levels they needed to be. He added that Newcastle were not a big enough goal threat, did not defend with enough solidity and were not quite right, saying the problems felt more mental than anything else.
He also pointed to the wider context of a turbulent season, saying last summer was part of it to a degree, but that there was plenty to learn from and the club would be stronger for it, especially with the people who had joined. That is the backdrop to a finish that leaves Newcastle in 12th place and looking far from the standard they wanted to set.
Fulham, meanwhile, finish with a clearer sense of momentum, even if Silva’s own future is unresolved. The Fulham manager said he will sit down with the club hierarchy next week, with his contract due to expire at the end of June. Benfica are said to be interested in bringing him back to Portugal to replace Jose Mourinho this summer, but Silva kept the focus on what his team have done on the pitch, saying they deserved more from some games and that the margins are what they have missed this season.
That is where the day leaves both clubs: Fulham with a strong finish and a manager whose next step is still undecided, Newcastle with a flat ending to a campaign that offered too few answers.
