Contention was the order of the day as early as the second minute at St James’ Park, as Keane Lewis-Potter broke in behind and hit the deck.
Kieran Trippier visibly had a fistful of his shirt, but neither the referee nor VAR believed the contact warranted a penalty or red card.
It took Newcastle a while to find their feet, but after Harvey Barnes inadvertently flicked an effort from Jacob Murphy wide, Newcastle broke the deadlock midway through the first half.
Sven Botman shook off his marker and met a speculative, deep delivery from Bruno Guimaraes, planting a header down into the ground and into the roof of the net.
However, Brentford did eventually reap the rewards of a largely solid first-half performance, equalising in some style when Dango Ouattara’s pinpoint delivery was headed back across goal and into the corner by Vitaly Janelt on 37’.
And the comeback was then complete on the stroke of half-time, when Mathias Jensen’s goalbound effort was blocked on the line by the outstretched arm of Murphy.
Unsurprisingly, it was Igor Thiago who assumed responsibility from 12 yards, stepping forward to coolly dispatch his 17th league goal of the season.
Newcastle felt they should’ve had a penalty of their own for handball when Rico Henry leant into Kieran Trippier’s cross, but to the dismay of many inside St James’ Park, he was adjudged to have turned the ball behind with his shoulder.
Newcastle were struggling to get any real impetus, and that was a point highlighted by their first real chance of the second half coming beyond the hour mark when Malick Thiaw’s strike from distance was turned around the post by Caoimhin Kelleher.
Newcastle did finally get their penalty a little over 10 minutes from time when Michael Kayode tripped Guimaraes inside the area as he looked to add to his earlier assist.
The Brazilian dusted himself off and stroked into the corner to level the scores and set up a grandstand finish.
His equaliser ultimately proved to be in vain, though, as the Bees hit Newcastle with the ultimate sucker punch when Ouattara’s wicked drive squirmed beneath Nick Pope and flew into the bottom corner.
Victory moves a jubilant Brentford back into seventh place after Everton's earlier victory over Fulham, while Newcastle have now dropped even further off the European pace as pressure mounts on Howe.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Vitaly Janelt (Brentford)
