Louise Taylor was at St James’ Park tonight, and her verdict is in. Here it is! Thanks for reading this MBM.
Eddie Howe’s turn! “It was a tight game … a very bright start and a strange opening … we didn’t quite carry that on for the rest of the first half … the second half we were quite good, we just couldn’t break them down … West Ham have got very good players … I don’t think we stamped our authority on the game … we had a couple of good chances to win the game but it didn’t happen … we allowed Declan Rice too much time … undoubtedly [Newcastle missed Bruno Guimaraes] he’s our difference maker, he’s got that creative flair we possibly missed today … I’m really pleased with [Anthony Gordon’s] debut … teams when they play us now will make it difficult for us … the onus is on us to break teams down.”
David Moyes talks to Sky. “We deserve a lot of credit for coming here and putting on such a good performance … we played very well in the first half, if you exclude the first minute! … we got away with the first one and we gave them a goal 30 seconds later … we responded absolutely fantastic, we played brilliantly well in the first half … if you take the first minute out of it, you’d say we played very well … I was really pleased with how the players played … we defended well … it’s only a point, but it was a difficult away game and keeps a little run going … it wasn’t the worst result … if we play as well as we played today next week we’ll be pleased.”
He also reveals he was booked right at the end of the match. “I was just trying to encourage the referees a little bit.” What did he say? “You don’t need to know!” [Smiles beatifically]
Declan Rice talks to Sky Sports. “You know what, this is massive … we know how important these games are … it was vintage West Ham … we dug in, run our socks off, and had our fair amount of chances … it’s a really good point at a tough place to come … you need to give 110 percent and you see a team that really wants to push on and confirm our status in the Premier League … it was our best warm-up all season, we looked sharp … but it was sloppy from us to concede … but we didn’t dip … momentum is starting to come back, the levels are rising again, you can see it … we want to keep the momentum building … if we keep heading in the right direction we will be fine.”
Nayef Aguerd, who was named man of the match, adds: “I am very proud of the lads … a massive point … when they scored the first goal we were very upset … we said that if we cannot win, we will take one point, and the reaction of the lads was perfect.”
Kieran Trippier and Declan Rice, friends and England colleagues, embrace warmly. Meanwhile David Moyes seems a lot happier than Eddie Howe. Newcastle started in super-fast style, and briefly threatened to blow West Ham away, but the visitors held firm, came back to put an end to Nick Pope’s run of six consecutive Premier League clean sheets, and in the end proved themselves good value for the draw. A better point for the lowly Hammers than the Toon, who fail in their bid to reclaim third place from Manchester United … but everyone seems fairly content with a fair result.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Man Utd | 21 | 8 | 42 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 21 | 22 | 40 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 21 | 9 | 36 |
| 15 | Wolverhampton | 21 | -15 | 20 |
| 16 | West Ham | 21 | -8 | 19 |
| 17 | Leeds | 19 | -7 | 18 |
FULL TIME: Newcastle United 1-1 West Ham United
Newcastle launch a long free kick towards the West Ham box. West Ham break upfield through Fornals and Rice, but they can’t combine, the move breaks down, and the whistle goes. A draw seems about right.
Updated
90 min +2: The free kick’s easily cleared by West Ham. Burn then nearly puts Newcastle in a whole world of trouble with a loose pass that momentarily sees Bowen skitter upfield with the hosts light at the back. But Gordon races back to get his defender out of bother. He may have tugged at Bowen’s shirt, but the referee doesn’t see it that way, and we play on.
90 min +1: Another free kick for Newcastle, out on the right. Aguerd is booked for delaying its taking. Before anything else happens, Coufal makes way for Downes.
90 min: A free kick for Newcastle, 40 yards from goal. Trippier floats it into the West Ham mixer. Coufal clears it. There will be three added minutes.
88 min: Schar batters a free kick into Ings’ back, proving a point with the West Ham man failing to retreat ten yards in short order. He’s slightly shocked when, instead of booking Ings, the referee gives him the what-for for being so impatient and unsportsmanlike.
86 min: Murphy loops a cross into the West Ham box from the right. An easy claim for Fabianski.
84 min: West Ham go up the other end and win a corner of their own, thanks to Fornals’ hard work down the left. Rice whips it to the near post. It’s half cleared, then returned into the box, whereupon Ings tries to steer a header into the top left but gets nowhere close.
82 min: Joelinton wins a corner down the right. It’s the 100th corner West Ham have conceded in the league this season. They’ve successfully defended the first 99. They bring up the century when Gordon’s shot from the edge of the box is deflected out for corner number 101. That one flies harmlessly over the bar. West Ham’s proud record remains intact.
81 min: Almiron and Willock are replaced by Murphy and Anderson. From the restart, Trippier whips a glorious free kick into the mixer. Wilson meets it with a fierce header. The only problem is, it’s straight at Fabianski. Anywhere else and it was flying into the net, because Fabianski had no time to react. But as it is, he can parry then smother.
80 min: Ings comes on for Antonio, who has run himself into the ground.
79 min: Gordon races in from the left and … well, he eventually runs into traffic. But there’s a palpable crackle of excitement whenever the new man starts to dribble.
77 min: Longstaff, quarterbacking from deep, nearly finds Trippier on the edge of the box, coming in from the right flank. But there’s too much pace on the pass. Goal kick.
76 min: Gordon receives the ball in the centre circle with his back to goal. He takes a touch, spins, and sends Wilson away down the middle! But as Wilson enters the box, and shapes to shoot, he hesitates, allowing Aguerd to arrive and block at the very last minute. The resulting corner comes to nothing.
Updated
74 min: A double change for West Ham. Fornals and Soucek come on for Benrahma and Paqueta.
72 min: Trippier’s cross-cum-shot is deflected wide right for a corner. West Ham half-clear the set piece, then hold firm when Gordon drops deep and tries a high-speed one-two with Joelinton down the middle.
71 min: Benrahma flicks a header down the inside-left channel to release Antonio into space … but the flag goes up for offside. Antonio acknowledges his error in going too soon, his eagerness costing West Ham a promising opportunity.
69 min: Anthony Gordon comes on for his Newcastle debut. He replaces Saint-Maximin. A huge welcoming roar.
68 min: Longstaff has the opportunity of sending Saint-Maximin clear into the West Ham box down the left, but hesitates, is swarmed, and ultimately loses possession. A few groans from the home faithful.
66 min: Space for Emerson up the other end … but his cross is too strong and goes nowhere near Antonio and Paqueta in the middle.
65 min: Almiron bustles down the right but Emerson ushers him away from the danger zone easily enough. West Ham are again doing a good job of keeping the home fans quiet.
63 min: Paqueta steams towards the Newcastle box with the intention of unleashing a shot, but slips in the comedic silent-movie fashion and Newcastle spirit the ball away from danger.
61 min: Trippier crosses deep from the right. Fabianski claims bravely with Willock, Saint-Maximin and Wilson all steaming in to compete.
60 min: Saint-Maximin crosses from the left. Aguerd eyebrows the ball away from Wilson, who was preparing to nut home from six yards. Joelinton tries to keep the move going on the other flank, but stumbles as he enters the box. He’s not trying it on this time, though, this one’s an accidental slip.
59 min: Antonio hooks the ball over his shoulder for Benrahma to chase. Benrahma gives it a good go, but he can’t get past Botman.
57 min: Joelinton storms into the West Ham box down the inside-right channel. He taps the ball past Augerd before crumbling to the floor, an absurd dive in search of a penalty. Finally he goes into the referee’s notebook. A wry smile. He doesn’t bother complaining too much.
Updated
55 min: That was better from Newcastle, who otherwise have been second best since the restart, West Ham hogging the lion’s share of possession.
54 min: Almiron plays a cute reverse pass down the right to release Trippier into space. Trippier crosses long for Saint-Maximin, who opens his body and guides a sidefooted effort goalwards from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Fabianski does very well to block.
52 min: Coufal looks fine right now. In fact, West Ham collectively look in good nick. Emerson barges in from the left and is upended by Joelinton, who is really pushing his luck at the moment. The resulting free kick leads to some head tennis in the Newcastle box, but nothing more.
50 min: A ball curled into the Newcastle box from the left. Aguerd eyebrows it on, but the header is always flying wide right and high.
49 min: Paqueta spins elegantly away from Joelinton down the right, and is cynically clipped to the ground for his trouble. Joelinton very fortunate not to go into the book for deliberately leaving a boot in.
48 min: … but for now he continues.
47 min: Coufal might have pulled something, too. He’s looking across at the bench with doe eyes.
West Ham get the second half underway. They’ve made one change, swapping out Kehrer, who has picked up an injury, for Johnson.
Half-time entertainment. West Ham’s last win in the Premier League has led indirectly to all sorts of implications at the top and bottom of the table. Jonathan Wilson investigates.
Updated
HALF TIME: Newcastle United 1-1 West Ham United
Newcastle flew out of the traps spectacularly, but West Ham grew into the game and have since been the better side. The home fans are fairly subdued as a result.
Updated
45 min +1: Coufal curls the free kick towards the far post. Aguerd rises, unmarked, six yards out. He’s got to score, surely, but flaps his header over the bar. That was a golden opportunity to put West Ham into the lead just before the break.
45 min: Paqueta dribbles infield from the right only to be lunged at by Willock. The Newcastle man goes into the book. A free kick just to the right of centre, 25 yards out.
43 min: All a bit scrappy now. West Ham have done an excellent job in quietening the home fans.
41 min: Saint-Maximin tears past Coufal down the left with absurd ease, the jets on full blast. But his cross goes to nobody in particular, and it’s an easy clearance for the West Ham defence.
39 min: Antonio hares after a long pass down the right and whistles a low, hard cross into the Newcastle box. Pope does well to claim at his near post.
38 min: Joelinton strides down the middle of the park before rolling a pass down the right for Longstaff, who instantly looks for Wilson, free on the edge of the box. The delivery’s all wrong, though, and floats towards the goal, where Fabianski is able to claim without pressure.
37 min: Benrahma strides down the left and cuts infield. He’s got space and time to line up a shot, so the effort he drags dismally wide left is disappointing for West Ham in the extreme.
36 min: Newcastle respond by probing this way and that, but West Ham hold their shape in trademark Moyesian fashion.
34 min: Paqueta celebrates his goal with a spectacular somersault. St James’ Park falls quiet. The away fans are giving it plenty, mind. Their team deserve to be level after working their way back into the game impressively.
GOAL! Newcastle United 1-1 West Ham United (Paqueta 32)
Rice whips the corner towards the near post. Aguerd flicks on to the far post, where Paqueta traps before slotting into the bottom right. Easy as that, and what a response to going behind so early. Nick Pope’s bid for a seventh Premier League clean sheet in a row goes up in smoke!
Updated
31 min: Some pinball in the Newcastle box leads to Paqueta’s low shot being deflected wide left for a corner. And from that …
30 min: Benrahma dribbles down the left and is nicked by Trippier. He goes down, in order to purchase a cheap foul, but the referee isn’t biting. Trippier accuses Benrahma of diving, which is a bit strong, though it would have been a very soft free kick. But you’ve seen them given.
28 min: Bowen, Antonio and Rice shuttle the ball right to left at speed, finding Benrahma in space to the left of the D. Benrahma takes a touch back infield and looks for the top right, but gets his curler all wrong. Goal kick. Nice move, however.
26 min: Saint-Maximin slips Longstaff into the box from the left. Longstaff pulls back in the hope of teeing up Joelinton on the edge of the area, but Rice telescopes a leg to intercept and clear.
24 min: Willock swings in a free kick from the left. Burn gets up on the edge of the box to flick on. Schar sticks out a leg and flicks over Fabianski, the keeper dilly-dallying. West Ham are fortunate that the ball floats wide of the left-hand post.
22 min: Trippier slips, then recovers, then gets clipped from behind by Emerson, who is slightly fortunate not to go into the book. Clumsy rather than malicious.
21 min: Schar tries to release Wilson down the middle again, but Ogbonna closes that route to goal.
19 min: Botman launches long down the left. Wilson tries to take it down and round Ogbonna, but the defender intercepts and clears. Wilson claims Ogbonna handled in doing so, but replays show that claim to be neither clear nor obvious.
17 min: Botman, having been doused in the miracle water from the magic sponge, is back up and running. All fixed.
15 min: West Ham are knocking it around confidently enough now, having recovered from their cold start. Paqueta takes a belt from distance that smacks Botman flush in the mush. On comes the trainer.
13 min: Schar plays a lazy ball out from the back, gifting Antonio an easy interception. He takes a whack from the edge of the D only for Botman to block bravely. Botman got his central defensive partner out of a world of trouble there.
Updated
11 min: Willock curls in from the right. Wilson prepares to head home from six yards only to be denied by Ogbonna’s late flick clear. Newcastle look dangerous every time they attack.
9 min: Another determined run by Antonio down the left. He makes it into the box this time, holding off Botman easily enough, but his cross is too long for Paqueta, who tries to keep the move going on the other flank, only to be eventually dispossessed by Willock.
7 min: Fabianski is nearly closed down by the irrepressible Wilson. He hoicks clear just in time. West Ham are looking ragged during these early exchanges.
5 min: Antonio tries to fashion a response with a run down the left but upon cutting inside soon runs out of room and loses possession. On the touchline, David Moyes wears a look that’s 50 percent disbelief, 50 percent incandescent rage. You can picture it, can’t you?
4 min: Well that was eventful.
GOAL! Newcastle United 1-0 West Ham United (Wilson 3)
Fabianski takes the goal kick. Schar, Joelinton and Longstaff combine to win the ball in the centre circle. Longstaff rolls a pass down the middle to release Wilson, easy as that. Wilson romps clear, opens his body, and slots into the left-hand side of the net!
Updated
NO GOAL! Newcastle United 0-0 West Ham United
Almiron couldn’t keep the ball in play. It had gone out for a goal kick. VAR points this out and the goal is chalked off. But no matter, because just after the restart, 11 seconds of action later …
Updated
GOAL! Newcastle United 1-0 West Ham United (Willock 37 sec)
Willock takes a knock to the leg. Is he injured? Nope! Almiron chases a Trippier pass down the right. He tugs it back from the byline. Willock takes a touch and slams the ball across Fabianksi and into the top left! What a start!
A blast of Local Hero, then Newcastle get the ball rolling. And then …
The teams are out! Newcastle wear their black and white stripes, West Ham sport claret and blue. A party atmosphere at St James’ Park befitting a club feeling good about itself right now. Only one slight downer: Manchester United have leapfrogged the Toon in the table after their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace this afternoon. Newcastle can reclaim third place with a win tonight. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 20 | 28 | 50 |
| 2 | Man City | 20 | 33 | 45 |
| 3 | Man Utd | 21 | 8 | 42 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 20 | 22 | 39 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 21 | 9 | 36 |
David Moyes talks to Sky. “We’ve picked up some really good results in the last week or two … we’re in good shape, hopefully we can show it, we’re up against a team in good form so we’ll need to play well … it’ll be a tough game for us.”
Eddie Howe speaks to Sky. “We are naturally positive but focused because we know the Premier League is so difficult … the cup week we had were totally different games, we enjoyed the experience, we’re through to the final, but that has to take a back seat … we have to play well against a competitive team … [Allan Saint-Maximin] has unique abilities, he’s the best dribbler of a football I’ve seen and worked with … we hope to feed him in the right areas … I’d love to see [Anthony Gordon] on the pitch but I’ll have to take into account how the game’s going.”
Newcastle make one change to the starting XI named for the 2-1 League Cup win over Southampton. Bruno Guimaraes is suspended, so Allan Saint-Maximin takes his place. Anthony Gordon is on the bench, ready to make his debut, while Alexander Isak misses out altogether having been concussed against the Saints.
West Ham also make one change, from the XI sent out to beat Everton 2-0 a fortnight ago. Kurt Zouma is injured so Thilo Kehrer takes his place.
The teams
Newcastle United: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Longstaff, Saint-Maximin, Willock, Almiron, Wilson, Joelinton.
Subs: Gordon, Dubravka, Dummett, Lascelles, Ritchie, Lewis, Fraser, Murphy, Anderson.
West Ham United: Fabianski, Kehrer, Ogbonna, Aguerd, Coufal, Paqueta, Rice, Emerson, Bowen, Benrahma, Antonio.
Subs: Johnson, Cresswell, Fornals, Lanzini, Downes, Ings, Soucek, Hegyi, Anang.
HOWAY NEWCASTLE! ✊#NEWWHU pic.twitter.com/hTezvzTzcI
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) February 4, 2023
Your Hammers for #NEWWHU ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/69qZTAJYk2
— West Ham United (@WestHam) February 4, 2023
Updated
Preamble
West Ham United won this fixture 4-2 last season. Few fancy them to repeat the trick this time round. Newcastle United are flying, ahead of schedule in third place and high on life after reaching their first cup final for 24 years. Nick Pope hasn’t let in a Premier League goal for six matches; the team are unbeaten in the league in 15, and haven’t lost at home since April. Ask the 8-ball: all signs point to yes why aye.
Nothing’s ever that cut and dried, though, is it? So here’s some hope for West Ham: Newcastle have only scored one goal in their last four league games, and they struggle when Bruno Guimaraes, suspended for this game, isn’t playing, failing to win any of the three previous matches in which the brilliant Brazilian has been absent. The Hammers are also coming off the back of a morale-boosting win over Everton that gave them some much-needed breathing space at the bottom of the table. The Toon go into this as hot favourites, but as they pour forward, David Moyes will doubtless have a rope-a-dope plan. Set up nicely, then. Kick off is at 5.30pm GMT. It’s on!
