LONDON — Nuno Espirito Santo registered his first win as West Ham manager on Sunday as his side completed a comeback 3-1 win over Newcastle United at the London Stadium.
The game started poorly for West Ham when only a minute after a Jarrod Bowen effort hit the post, Jacob Murphy found himself past El Hadji Diouf far too easily before giving Eddie Howe’s side the lead within five minutes.
West Ham then had a penalty disallowed with Bowen again at the centre of the action, with referee Robert Jones deeming that Malik Thiaw had touched the ball before bringing the England forward down.
A powerful Paquetá strike from outside the box and a fortuitous Sven Botman own goal gave Nuno’s side the lead heading into half-time.
Contrary to their defensive record so far this season, West Ham held on to their lead in the second half that saw Newcastle struggle to really trouble Alphonse Areola in goal.
Seven minutes into stoppage time, Tomáš Souček capped off the win for the home side with Newcastle stretched searching for an equalizer.
Despite the result, West Ham find themselves rooted inside the relegation zone while Newcastle remain in the bottom half after their fourth defeat of a stop-start season
Paquetá the protagonist for West Ham
If ever the Premier League needed reminding what a vintage midfielding performance looks like, Paquetá provided just that on Sunday.
Against one of the league’s most robust midfields in Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali, it was Paquetá who shone.
West Ham came into the game with just one win in their first nine, with Espirito Santo saying in his programme notes pre-match that his side needed to be “braver.”
Paquetá epitomised exactly what his boss was looking for, single-handedly dragging West Ham forward. He won four of his seven duels and completing the most passes for his side in an action-packed first-half.
So, as Nick Pope punched away a Summerville cross just after the half-hour mark for Matheus Fernandes to head into Paquetá’s path, the West Ham faithful sensed only one outcome.
A powerful effort driven low past Pope from outside the box was exactly the jolt a stadium that had yet to see their side pick up a point at home all season needed.
There have been reports of the Brazilian wanting out of West Ham and in the week the FA ended a spot-fixing case against him with a mere warning, Paquetá showed just how crucial it is that West Ham keep hold of him in January if they are to end this season with their Premier League status intact.
Newcastle’s attacking troubles continue
After losing Alexander Isak to Liverpool in the summer, Newcastle’s new No. 9 Nick Woltemade has more than hit the ground running with six goals in all competitions.
However one man doesn’t make an attack and Eddie Howe made his feelings towards his front line clear at half-time.
Woltemade, who registered a team-low 14 touches in a sluggish first half and Anthony Gordon, who failed to create a chance in the first 45 with two unsuccessful take-ons, were both hooked for Will Osula and Jacob Ramsey respectively. Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes were later added to the mix but to no avail.
Outside of Woltemade, only three players have scored a league goal for the Geordies this season, Guimarães with three, then Murphy and Osula with one each. For a side competing in the Champions League and harbouring top 4 ambitions, it simply isn’t good enough.
Up against a side with the worst defensive record in the league, it will be a worry for Howe that outside of Murphy’s early strike it was the Hammers who went on to create the more clear-cut chances.
Gordon, Elanga, Barnes and Ramsey all remain without a goal contribution in the league after defeat on Sunday and after a blunt second half going forward, Howe will need to find a more sustainable attacking outlook if Newcastle are to maintain a European charge and Champions League campaign this term.
