A 1-1 home draw with fellow strugglers Norwich City extended the Magpies' winless run and new manager Eddie Howe knows the situation is becoming critical.

Only three other teams in the Premier League era have failed to win any of their opening 14 games - Swindon Town (1993-94), Queens Park Rangers (2012-13) and Sheffield United (2020-21) - and all were relegated.

Howe looked on in disbelief on Tuesday night as defender Ciaran Clark was sent off for inexplicably hauling back Norwich striker Teemu Pukki in just the ninth minute.

Yet the hosts responded well and took the lead through Callum Wilson's penalty on the hour.

But Pukki struck a spectacular volley in the 79th minute to keep Newcastle rooted to the bottom with seven points.

Despite another winless outing, Howe - the man entrusted to lead Newcastle into a new era after a Saudi Arabia-backed takeover - remains confident his side can escape the drop.

"I think there's wins in the team," Howe, who was in the St James' Park dugout for the first time, told reporters.

"I really believe so. We needed to improve our defensive resilience and performance, and I thought tonight, we did.

"I believe we can do it. I still believe it's in our own hands. But obviously with every game that we don't win, it becomes harder."

Newcastle host 19th-placed Burnley at the weekend.

For Norwich it felt like a missed opportunity to maintain their momentum, although the draw did lift them to 18th and one point above Burnley, who have two games in hand.

Norwich Keeper Tim Krul, a former Newcastle favourite, summed up the mood in the visitors' camp.

"Before the game you'd probably have said a point would be alright. If you play against 10 men for 80 minutes you're disappointed not to get three points," he said.

Australian Associated Press