November 02, (THEWILL) — West Ham United claimed their first victory under manager Nuno Espírito Santo with a 3-1 home triumph over Newcastle United on Saturday. The result extended Newcastle’s away league drought to eight matches without a win and provided crucial relief for the Hammers languishing near the bottom of the English Premier League table.
The match began disastrously for the hosts when Jarrod Bowen struck the post before Newcastle responded immediately through Jacob Murphy, who fired into the far corner from distance after just five minutes. West Ham’s frustrations grew when referee Rob Jones reversed a penalty decision following a VAR review, ruling that Malick Thiaw had touched the ball before bringing down Bowen. Despite the setbacks, the Hammers gradually built pressure and Lucas Paquetá levelled before half-time with a long-range strike that squirmed past goalkeeper Nick Pope at the near post.
West Ham seized the advantage in first-half stoppage time when Sven Botman inadvertently diverted Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross into his own net whilst attempting to clear. Eddie Howe introduced three substitutes at the interval in an attempt to revive his side, but Newcastle struggled to create clear opportunities. Freddie Potts thought he had drawn the visitors level midway through the second half, only for the goal to be disallowed after Tomáš Souček was ruled offside in the build-up.
Newcastle appeared to lose momentum in the final stages, perhaps mindful of their midweek UEFA Champions League commitments. West Ham defended comfortably and Souček sealed the points with a late third goal in stoppage time. The victory provides vital breathing space for Nuno’s side ahead of a critical home fixture against fellow relegation candidates Burnley next weekend.
The defeat leaves Newcastle winless on their travels since early in the campaign, whilst West Ham will hope this result marks a turning point in their season. The performance was a marked improvement from their recent defeat at Leeds and offers genuine cause for optimism among the home support.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
