Luton Town media slam what Eddie Howe & Newcastle United didn't do at Kenilworth Road - five things

Newcastle United's away day woes continued with a 1-0 defeat at Luton Town on Saturday afternoon - here are five talking points from the match.

Three changes for Newcastle United as double injury boost confirmed

The day at Kenilworth Road started with some positivity for The Magpies with Fabian Schar returning to the starting line-up after missing the Chelsea match with a glute issue. Alexander Isak also returned on the bench after missing the last two due to his groin.

Schar came into the side for Sven Botman while Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn replaced Emil Krafth and Tino Livramento in the starting line-up. There was no place for Joelinton in the side following a hamstring injury picked up against Fulham last weekend with Eddie Howe stating the Brazilian is 'not far away'.

Luton Town press hit out at Eddie Howe as Newcastle United fans show their class after Tom Lockyer incident

Luton's previous Premier League encounter was called off in the second half after captain Tom Lockyer collapsed due to a cardiac arrest. The 29-year-old is in a stable condition and even messaged Luton boss Rob Edwards a message of good luck before the match.

The 1,145 travelling supporters showed their support for Lockyer by unfurling a banner in the way end which read: "Get well soon Tom, NUFC."

Both sets of fans engaged in a fourth-minute applause at Kenilworth Road with Newcastle right-back Kieran Trippier joining in while on the pitch. But Howe, his coaching staff and The Magpies bench unwittingly did not take part in the applause, something which was noted by members of the Luton media pack.

When asked why there was no applause from the Newcastle bench, Howe explained: "I didn't even know it was happening. I was absolutely focused on the game and absolutely no intention to disrespect and we wish Tom 100% a full recovery and all our players are with him. But I had to manage a football match and I was focused on that."

Eddie Howe makes proactive changes as another injury blow confirmed

Former Newcastle winger Andros Townsend put Luton ahead with a back-post header after 25 minutes. The Magpies had struggled in the first half, which led Eddie Howe to make a double change seven minutes before the half-time break.

One change was forced as Sven Botman replaced the injured Jamaal Lascelles at centre-back. But Newcastle's other change was a positive and proactive one by The Magpies boss as he hauled off Lewis Miley for returning forward Alexander Isak.

On the changes, Howe said: "One was an injury and I sort of used that injury and that change to change things tactically and bring on Alex and play a slightly different way to give us slightly more control in the game."

Newcastle's shape switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation following Isak's introduction and saw them get more of a foothold in the match after a very sloppy start. They pushed for an equaliser and thought they'd found one after the break as Isak slotted the ball past Thomas Kaminski, but the offside flag quickly went up.

A VAR check showed it was a very close call but refrained from overturning the decision. And that was as close as Newcastle came to finding an equaliser in the second half as Luton defended resolutely to see out their third win of the Premier League season.

An unwanted stat for Newcastle United

Newcastle's 1-0 defeat at Kenilworth Road not only marked a fourth straight away league defeat for Howe's side but also Luton's first clean sheet of the season in all competitions.

The Magpies had 15 shots in the game but only two on target - a Callum Wilson header in the first half which was comfortably gathered by Kaminski and a second-half effort from Guimaraes which was stopped by the Luton goalkeeper's foot.

The visitors had 66% possession in the match yet Luton managed to create the better openings throughout the 90 minutes with Ross Barkley and Jacob Brown both hitting the crossbar and Martin Dubravka forced to make a few good saves in The Magpies' goal.

In less than two weeks, Newcastle have lost five of their last six matches including a penalty shoot-out loss at Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and a Champions League exit to AC Milan. Howe's side only lost five Premier League games in total last season, with the recent run of form threatening to derail their season.

Forest, Liverpool, Sunderland, Manchester City and Aston Villa to come

Newcastle will make a welcome return to St James' Park on Boxing Day looking to benefit from some home comforts. The Magpies have picked up 24 or their 29 Premier League points so far this season on home turf, only dropping points late on against Liverpool back in August.

A Nottingham Forest side under the new management of Nuno Espirito Santo will be looking to end a run of seven games without a win and move away from relegation danger after Luton's win closed the gap to just two points.

Looking ahead to the game, Howe said: "Regardless of home and away we are desperate for another fixture very quickly and the Luton game to the back of our minds.

“Our home form has been really strong. It is a great environment for us to play and express ourselves. It’s a really tough game as well and we are looking forward to it.

“Whenever you play a team that has changed manager that is an interesting dynamic. Potential changes tactically, so we are going to have to be well prepared for the match.”

After Forest, Newcastle head into a tricky January which will see them face Liverpool away, Manchester City at home and Aston Villa away as well as an FA Cup away trip to rivals Sunderland on January 6. Given their away form, it's a daunting month for Howe and his players as they look to get their season back on track.