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Chris Knight

Willock prediction, Joelinton shirts and Zouma taunts - Newcastle moments you might have missed

Newcastle United extended their unbeaten Premier League run to six matches following a 1-1 draw at West Ham.

Joe Willock's clever finish just before the break cancelled out Craig Dawson's header and ensured the Magpies' retained their four-point cushion to the relegation zone.

Eddie Howe's side shrugged off the absence of Allan Saint-Maximin and Kieran Trippier, as well as travel concerns brought about by Storm Eunice, to deliver a confident display in the capital.

Here are the moments you might have missed from the Magpies' draw at the London Stadium.

Willock's prediction

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer singled out the former loanee for praise for his latest performance, suggesting the 22-year-old was returning to his spectacular form from last season.

It has been a difficult campaign to date for Willock, with injuries and a change of midfield role seeing question marks raised over his selection at times.

However, the central midfielder has quietly impressed in recent weeks as part of a midfield triumvirate alongside Joelinton and Jonjo Shelvey, and this confidence was evident in his pre-match prediction.

Club photographer Serena Taylor took to social media following the match to reveal Willock confidently claimed he was going to bag his first goal of the season ahead of kick-off.

Fans and the midfielder himself will be hoping it can spark the kind of scoring streak which saw him equal Alan Shearer's Premier League record with seven consecutive strikes last term.

Joelinton shirts

Newcastle's number seven delivered the kind of powerful midfield display which fans have become accustomed to since his remarkable transformation.

Joelinton's turnaround from misfiring forward to all-action enforcer has been well documented, but it does not make the 25-year-old's continued performances any less remarkable.

The Brazilian has gone from being a lighting rod for criticism to a firm fans' favourite in a matter of months, and this newfound status was evident with the latest eye-catching tribute from the stands.

A group of Newcastle fans marked the occasion with dazzling Joelinton-inspired Hawaiian shirts which were picked up on social media and by the BT Sport cameras.

Reports since suggest the dedication had even prompted a response from the man himself, pledging to give the fans a shirt of his own as a way of saying thank you.

Zouma taunts

David Moyes and West Ham have come under heavy criticism in recent weeks for their decision to continue selecting Zouma in the wake of the cat-kicking scandal.

The former Chelsea defender was a late omission from the Hammers last outing at Leicester City, but was restored to the starting lineup to face Newcastle.

Zouma has found himself the subject of widespread criticism following the highly-controversial social media post, and the travelling Toon fans made their feelings towards the centre-back clear.

The 27-year-old was booed every time he received possession, with regular chants against the defender ringing out from the away end.

The number of inflatable cats pictured in the crowd and on social media proves United fans evidently came prepared to taunt Zouma.

Lascelles substitution

United's captain and January signing Bruno Guimaraes were the big selection calls facing Howe in the build-up, prior to the late absence of Saint-Maximin.

The head coach opted to partner Fabian Schar with Dan Burn following his impressive black-and-white debut and the clean sheet against Aston Villa.

An injury concern for Emil Krafth in added time did see the Magpies' skipper preparing to come on for the final seconds of the contest.

The Sweden international was down on the turf following a challenge from Aaron Cresswell, but the full-back was lying off the pitch which allowed the match to continue.

In the end, the full-time whistle prevented Lascelles from making an emergency cameo at right-back.

Peacemaker Dubravka

It was a solid afternoon's work from the Slovakian international, who could do nothing to prevent Dawson's header from opening the scoring.

Dubravka had previously denied Jarrod Bowen from making it eight goals in eight games by tipping his deflected first-half strike on to the crossbar.

Newcastle's number one faced 11 shots in total, and was required in the closing stages to prevent a confrontation between Bowen and Burn from escalating.

The United centre-back angered the home crowd with a heavy challenge on the attacker following an offside call, and the former Magpies transfer target allowed his frustrations to boil over.

Dubravka was quick to come across to prevent tensions boiling over further, while the away fans responded with a chant of 'Dan Burn, he's one of our own!'.

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