Hammers find a way past Pope to share spoils
WEST HAM are a long way from being an irresistible force but they at least dispelled the theory that Newcastle’s defence has become an immovable object.
The rock-solid Geordies had shut out their six previous Premier League opponents but Lucas Paqueta found a chink in their armour to cancel out Callum Wilson’s third-minute opener and earn the Hammers only their sixth away point this season.
They are still in trouble but seeds of recovery have started to emerge.
Many sides would have gone under after conceding twice – one chalked off – in the opening moments but David Moyes’ players displayed great resolve.
The Carabao Cup finalists were below their best though Eddie Howe will have been encouraged by Anthony Gordon’s impressive cameo off the bench and Wilson (above) scoring for the first time in 10 games.
Newcastle have been racking up some impressive statistics and perhaps the most remarkable was the fact they had not conceded a first-half goal in 16 successive league games.
So the Hammers had every right to celebrate wildly when Paqueta became the first opponent since Wolves’ Ruben Neves in August to breach the Magpies’ defence in the opening period of a match.
Declan Rice swung in a 32nd-minute corner and, though Paqueta’s first touch took him away from goal, he turned sharply to poke the ball past Nick Pope.
It was the first league goal Pope had shipped in
574 minutes.
Joe Willock scored after just 38 seconds though his joy was short-lived with VAR ruling – correctly – that the ball was over the line when Miguel Almiron crossed.
Within seconds, however, Newcastle had indeed broken the deadlock.
Wilson said on the podcast he hosts with Michail Antonio he would score in the fourth minute.
He was only a minute out after Paqueta ceded possession, allowing Sean Longstaff to thread a pass between two defenders for Wilson to finish confidently.
West Ham looked shaken but they gradually gained a foothold.
And the point they earned through Paqueta’s goal could be a turning point. NEWCASTLE: Pope 6; Trippier 7, Botman 7, Schar 6, Burn 6; Willock 6 (Anderson 81, 6), Longstaff 7, Joelinton 6; Almiron 6 (Murphy 81, 6), Wilson 7 Saint-maximin 5 (Gordon 67, 7).
WEST HAM: Fabianski 7; Kehrer 6 (Johnson 45, 6) Ogbonna 6, Aguerd 8; Coufal 7 (Downes 90), Paqueta 7 (Soucek 74, 6), Rice 7, Emerson 6; Bowen 7, Benrahma 6 (Fornals 74, 6); Antonio 7 (Ings 80, 6.).
MAN OF THE MATCH: NAYEF AGUERD – the Moroccan defender was superb. REF: P Bankes ATT: 52,256