With striker Alexander Isak back after a period out with a toe injury, Newcastle dominated the opening exchanges but struggled to convert their plentiful possession into shots on target, and Welbeck showed them how it should be done in the 35th minute, muscling into the box to slip the ball past Nick Pope and give Brighton the lead.

Newcastle’s accuracy improved in the second half but the shots they managed on target lacked power and precision, while Brighton looked dangerous every time they crossed the halfway line.

Dan Burn finally got the ball into the Brighton net in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time but he was well offside and the goal was chalked off as the Seagulls hung on for a win that moves them up to fifth in the table on 15 points, while Newcastle remain eighth on 12.