Rafa Benitez has refused to criticise his captain Jamaal Lascelles following his display at Arsenal.
The former Nottingham Forest defender was caught of position for the second goal and got caught in a mix-up with DeAndre Yedlin for the opener.
But Benitez - who picked Lascelles over fit-again Argentinean international Federico Fernandez - stuck by his skipper in the aftermath of the 2-0 loss against the Gunners.
He said: "We win together and we lose together, we made a mistake as a team."
The defeat means Newcastle are still hunting for the win that will ensure survival in the Premier League.
But after Cardiff City lost to Chelsea, the defeat for the Bluebirds eased the pressure on Newcastle's players.
When asked whether Neil Warnock's reaction at the final whistle on Sunday - when the ex-Scarborough manager stood in the centre circle looking inconsolable - suggested Cardiff were as good as down, Benitez said: "If you are asking me, ‘Would I prefer to be closer to Cardiff or higher’, I would prefer to be where we are.
"You can talk about lots of things, but I would prefer to be where we are and have the points on the table.
"After that, we have to try to get three points in the next game, and that is it."
