NEWCASTLE .................................................................... 0 pulling away from take a hammering
SHOTS ON TARGET
SHOTS OFF TARGET
CORNERS
FOULS
POSSESSION on the front foot and stayed on it with Newcastle failing to register a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.
Benitez responded to a poor first half display by replacing Longstaff with Mo Diame.
United opened up the second half in a slightly more positive fashion with Isaac Hayden curving a shot wide.
This was then followed up as Rondon played in Perez who got behind the West Ham defence, only to screw his shot wide of the target.
With 57 minutes played, a throwin from Manquillo picked out Hayden who flicked the ball into the path of Rondon, but he could only guide it into the safe hands of Lukasz Fabianski.
It was a tame effort from Newcastle’s top scorer but it proved to be their first on target of the evening just shy of the hour mark.
However, it could have been game over moments later as Hernandez somehow managed to scoop over at the back post after a right-wing cross.
Two minutes later, the Mexican international brushed the side netting as United lost their composure once again.
Benitez replaced the ineffective Schär on 65 minutes after a disappointing night – just days after his goalscoring heroics against Burnley. With 19 minutes to go, Rondon’s header was blocked by Arthur Masuaku but United couldn’t make the most of the corner kick that followed.
Almiron latched on to a Rondon pass but dragged his effort wide of the goal.
With five minutes to go, Diame conceded a set-piece just outside the box but Lanzini sent it over the bar. Rondon was desperately unlucky to see his free-kick saved by the keeper after cracking a powerful effort at Fabianski. Yet Lanzini could have added some gloss to the scoreline moments later after Newcastle lost the ball through Paul Dummett and Dubravka came to the rescue. It is a result that leaves Benitez and his players with plenty of room for improvement and plenty of food for thought with nine games left.
Nothing comes easy in the top-flight and if United ever wanted an example of that, they got it in Stratford.
It’s Everton next weekend at home and Newcastle players know they need to step things up significantly to extinguish the remaining threat of relegation.