Newcastle 4 West Ham 3
Europe seems a long and distant memory for The Magpies now, but thoughts of it still cause PTSD in the same way it does David Cameron. Despite this, Eddie Howe’s sole aim for the remainder of the season is to ensure that his side have a need for their passports next season.
West Ham were the visitors to St James’ Park, still having a Europa League quarter-final to look forward to and a league position that suggests The Hammers have every chance of securing more trips to the continent next campaign.
Both of these sides have found clean sheets difficult to come by this season, suggesting a good game for the neutral. Newcastle had the chance to open the scoring early on in the game after Anthony Gordon won his side a penalty.
Having seen the replay, anyone not with a black and white jersey on, would question the role of VAR once again. Firstly, Gordon seemed to be in an offside position when the ball was played forward, and the tackle seemed to be something the winger initiated in order to go down.
Credit: @NUFC
Gordon got his leg in front of Coufal and was bundled over as a result. VAR reviewed it and the chat must have been…….’Gordon looks like he was in an offside position there’…..’Yeh I agree’……’Shall we give it for a laugh’………’Lol, go on’.
Isak stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way as he buried it in the bottom corner of the goal. It was the perfect start to the game as Jason Tindall fist pumped the air and gritted his bleached white teeth. Fun fact, aside from the Great Wall of China, those gnashers are the only other thing visible from the International Space Station.
After an injury to Lascelles, the re-shuffle caused some carnage to the defence. A ball over the top of the back four found Antonio, who drilled his shot past Dubravka to send the travelling Hammers’ fans wild up in the gods of St James’ Park.
Gordon then had the perfect chance to give the hosts the lead once again but headed his effort wide when a goal seemed certain. Guimaraes then had a shot from outside the box, only to see it thunder back off the crossbar.
Controversy came about in added time as Schar was penalised for a foul. As he lay on the floor holding his face, Paqueta took a quick free kick to find Bowen. He cut inside and Kudus swept the ball past Dubravka to give the visitors the lead.
After the interval West Ham broke from a Newcastle corner with Kudus down the left. He spotted Bowen in acres of space in the middle and slotted him in. The Hammers’ forward showed great composure as he ran through and finished well to double his side’s lead.
Credit: @WestHam
Guimaraes continued to cause problems for David Moyes’ side. He got to the byline and cut the ball back to Longstaff, who somehow side-footed his shot miles wide of the goal. Gordon then found substitute Barnes but his shot was well saved by Fabianski.
The Magpies piled on the pressure, with West Ham getting everyone behind the ball. In one such melee, Gordon ended up on the floor once again. The referee turned away their claims but a VAR review sent the official to the monitor.
Again there were questions whether the ex-Everton winger initiated the contact to purely win a foul rather than trying to get to the ball. Despite this, the referee pointed to the spot. Isak stepped up, with exactly the same outcome as his earlier spot-kick.
Gordon was then booked for a ridiculous foul on Kudus as he grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back like some sort of judo move. Isak then played in Barnes who tucked the ball through the legs of The Hammers’ keeper to draw the game level.
Barnes was to haunt Moyes’ side once again as he dropped his shoulder to beat his man and curled a shot into the far corner to give Newcastle the lead in the 90th minute. Eddie Howe’s side had completely turned this game on its head and the roof nearly came off the stadium.
West Ham were awarded a free kick and Gordon kicked the ball away. The referee rightly showed him a yellow card and the Newcastle winger jogged back to his defensive position like this was the first time he had ever played football, not knowing the rules.
The referee brandished a red card and gave the Newcastle winger his marching orders. He had no one to blame but himself, both cards were ridiculous and shows that he still has a teenage temperament which can backfire on occasions.
Deep into added time, Kudus swung a cross into the back post which Dubravka came for and missed completely. Soucek was lurking and tried to chest the ball into the net but his improvised effort went wide of the goal. It was a big chance to draw level.
Newcastle held on for the win, Kalvin Phillips had come on as a second half sub with twenty minutes remaining and gave away the second penalty which led to the three goal comeback. The Man City loanee now officially has a worse record in East London than Hermann Goring.
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