This was Newcastle United dealing with a routine chore with maximum efficiency. The exciting stuff, they hope, comes when they return to London with hopes of ending their long wait for silverware this weekend. The Carabao Cup final approaches and, for all that this performance will not have sent a shiver down Liverpool’s spine, Eddie Howe was entitled to dwell on the positives after his side boosted their hopes of Champions League qualification with a professional victory over West Ham.
It was vital that spirits were lifted after last week’s exit from the FA Cup was compounded by a handful of key players being ruled out against Liverpool. That made the avoidance of further injuries highly welcome, while a first clean sheet in over a month was satisfying before Newcastle plot how to keep Mohamed Salah quiet. Howe, though, will not get carried away. Liverpool will pose far more questions than a limited, cautious West Ham attack managed here. Newcastle, who were clearly holding back at times, did not have to do much beyond wait for Bruno Guimarães to score the goal that lifted them two points off fourth place.
“A massive win,” Howe said. “One of our best games of the season. I thought we dug in, we were disciplined. We defended our goal magnificently. We’ve had a challenging week. It’s a brilliant response. It’s exactly what we needed. We needed the players to empty the tank.”
Howe went on to praise Guimarães, who has come under fire in recent weeks. “Bruno’s been brilliant for us,” he said. “He stands up in the big moments.” Guimarães then produced some big talk, saying the final is “like the World Cup” for Newcastle. “We want to make history for this club,” Newcastle’s captain said.
A night that began with the home fans paying tribute to Michail Antonio, who made an emotional appearance three months after breaking a leg in a horrific car crash, saw West Ham in a deceptively dangerous mood early on. Newcastle, their defence shorn of key personnel, had a scare when Mohammed Kudus exposed Fabian Schär inside the first minute. The Ghanaian’s wicked delivery exposed holes left by Sven Botman’s absence with a knee injury but Tino Livramento atoned for a dozy attempt at a clearance by forcing Tomas Soucek to shoot over.
Livramento was in at left-back for Lewis Hall, sidelined for the rest of the campaign, and West Ham sought opportunities down his flank. Another attack followed, Jarrod Bowen the instigator this time, Dan Burn almost turning the forward’s cross into his own net.
Yet West Ham’s aggression subsided. Newcastle asserted themselves, even if thoughts often drifted to Wembley. Harvey Barnes, desperate to prove he can provide solutions on the left with Anthony Gordon suspended, tested Alphonse Areola when he flicked Kieran Trippier’s shot goalwards.
The mood was tepid. Newcastle probed patiently, Guimarães and Sandro Tonali clever in midfield, and advanced into decent crossing positions. West Ham responded with flashes from Kudus and Bowen, who shot at Nick Pope after a slip from Livramento. Areola pushed away a header from Barnes.
Newcastle, who fretted at Tonali needing treatment after being caught by James Ward-Prowse, laboured. West Ham squeezed the space with a compact back five but they too lacked conviction in attack. Kudus was timid and tackled by Trippier when clean through. “It’s not quite happening for him,” Graham Potter said of a forward who has gone 12 games without a goal.
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An issue for West Ham has been adapting to Potter’s shift to a more considered style of play. It is a necessary departure from the disorder of Julen Lopetegui’s reign, a way to protect a team woefully short of speed, but it has come at the expense of attacking ingenuity. With a midfield of Edson Álvarez, Ward-Prowse and Soucek providing zero dynamism or invention, Kudus and Bowen are doing a lot of heavy lifting. For Potter, the challenge for the rest of the season is working out how to strengthen in the summer.
West Ham, who are in little danger of going down, meandered. Newcastle stirred, forcing Areola into acrobatics to prevent Max Kilman scoring an own goal. Alexander Isak turned the rebound over but the visitors were playing with more belief. They pushed again and Barnes dinked an inviting cross to the far post for Guimarães, who escaped Ollie Scarles and poked past Areola from close range. Isak, with a little shove on Kilman, had cleared the path for his teammate. “It’s clear,” Potter said. “It’s two hands on the back.”
Potter’s complaints fell on deaf ears. He responded by throwing on Lucas Paquetá, Carlos Soler and Evan Ferguson. Paquetá tried to release Bowen, who appealed for a penalty after tangling with Guimarães. West Ham, beaten in three of five home games under Potter, were shut out. They did nothing; Newcastle did enough.
Source: theguardian.com
