On a bitterly cold Tyneside night West Ham finally remembered how to fight back. Even better for their beleaguered manager, Julen Lopetegui, a team inspired by standout performances from Tomas Soucek, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paquetá exhibited the sort of ruthless precision strangely absent from Newcastle’s game.
Expertly taken goals from Soucek and the similarly impressive Aaron Wan-Bissaka reinforced Lopetegui’s fragile job security, lifting West Ham to 14th, six points clear of the bottom three and three behind Eddie Howe’s team as Newcastle’s hopes of Champions League qualification sustained a dent. It did not help the home cause that Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimarães and Anthony Gordon all had unusually poor games.
“I’m very happy, I think we played well and deserved to win,” said Lopetegui. “We overcame a very good opponent and showed one identity.” He must hope Bowen’s post-match verdict that “this is a real big turning point in our season” proves accurate.
Before a potentially tenure-defining match, West Ham’s manager took time to revisit the bronze statue of Sir Bobby Robson that stands outside St James’ Park. During his days as a goalkeeper, Lopetegui played under Robson at Barcelona and had vowed to channel his “inner Bobby” here.
Three decades on and with his team three points clear of the relegation zone at kick-off, Lopetegui succeeded in coaxing a committed yet classy performance that Robson would have approved of from his players. It was also timely. Although the east London club rarely change managers mid-season there were strong suggestions that the former Spain coach’s future hinged on his side’s results here and at home against Arsenal on Saturday.
Undeterred by such an uncertain backdrop, Soucek revelled in placing Howe’s defence under unflattering scrutiny as, completely unmarked, he headed Lopetegui’s side into a 10th-minute lead following Emerson’s fine corner. With Lloyd Kelly suffering an alarming concentration lapse, Newcastle suddenly felt the suspended Dan Burn’s absence.
Until then they had looked bright with Isak having a goal disallowed for offside but, despite spurning a series of half chances, Howe’s players were frustrated by Lopetegui’s five-man midfield.
With the tension rising, West Ham’s manager received a yellow card for dissent after Crysencio Summerville was contentiously adjudged to have fouled Sean Longstaff. Given it was the Spaniard’s third booking of the season, he must watch the Arsenal game from the stands while serving a one-game touchline ban.
Lopetegui could be encouraged that Howe’s decision to start Joelinton on the right rather than the left wing did not work and was soon jettisoned, with the Brazilian shifting first to the left flank and then back into midfield. The initial idea was presumably to offer Gordon the freedom of his preferred left side but the England winger let himself down when he shot straight at Lukasz Fabianski, allowing the admittedly excellent goalkeeper to save smartly with a leg following Jean-Clair Todibo’s error.
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Yet although Harvey Barnes’s second-half introduction added to Newcastle’s menace, Max Kilman shone at the heart of West Ham’s defence, helping repel tidal waves of pressure as Soucek strained every sinew to hold his midfield together. Their efforts enabled Paquetá to shine in the No 8 role and Bowen to show off quick feet and even faster brain down the right as the visitors sensed a counterattacking opportunity.
Appropriately Bowen played a key role in West Ham doubling their advantage after Paquetá pinched possession from Guimarães and played the England forward in. All that remained was for a winger much admired by Howe to set up Wan-Bissaka on the underlap, leaving the right-back to take a steadying touch before evading Nick Pope’s reach courtesy of a right-footed shot that brushed a post en route to the back of the net.
It was only the third goal of Wan-Bissaka’s career and led to Callum Wilson stepping off the home bench for his first appearance of another injury-blighted season. Wilson had scored 12 goals in 14 previous appearances against West Ham and quickly saw a penalty appeal rejected, but this was Lopetegui’s night and there was to be no dramatic rescue act.
“I’m really disappointed,” said Howe. “We’ll rue this as a missed opportunity. We’re kicking ourselves.”
