Newcastle 0-2 West Ham: Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka goals ease pressure on Julen Lopetegui
West Ham delivered an outstanding performance on the road, with goals from Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka leading to a 2-0 win against Newcastle. This result helps alleviate some of the strain on head coach Julen Lopetegui.
Lopetegui will be hoping that this victory marks the beginning of his time with the Hammers. He has previously cautioned his team that they can't blame a packed schedule for not getting their season off to a strong start.
"We embraced a new identity and managed to defeat a strong team in a challenging venue," Lopetegui stated.
"We're excited for the players, the team, and especially the fans, as over 3,000 of them made the journey here and now have a long trip back home. We're eager to take on the next challenge."
The Irons traveled to Newcastle for a Monday Night Football match, coming off two losses in their last four Premier League outings. All eyes were on Spanish manager Lopetegui and the path he was steering his team, especially after home supporters expressed their disappointment following a frustrating goalless draw with Everton just before the international break.
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Newcastle: Pope (6), Livramento (6), Schar (6), Kelly (5), Hall (7), Longstaff (5), Guimaraes (5), Willock (5), Gordon (5), Isak (6), Joelinton (6).
Substitutes: Trippier (not applicable), Tonali (6), Wilson (6), Barnes (6), Jacob Murphy (6).
West Ham Player Ratings: - Fabianski: 8 - Wan-Bissaka: 8 - Todibo: 6 - Kilman: 8 - Emerson Palmieri: 7 - Soucek: 7 - Bowen: 7 - Soler: 7 - Lucas Paqueta: 9 - Summerville: 7 - Antonio: 8
Substitutes: Coufal (6), Mavropanos (6), Ings (not available), Rodriguez (not available), Irving (not available).
Star Player: Lucas Paqueta.
Lopetegui, who replaced David Moyes during the summer, remains focused and disregards any distractions. Throughout the match in Tyneside, his team displayed their strongest performance.
Soucek scored with a perfectly positioned header just 10 minutes into the match, but at the other end, Lukasz Fabianski made a crucial save, stopping a close-range shot from Anthony Gordon.
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Newcastle fell to 10th in the standings due to goal difference after a promising start. They nearly scored first, but Alexander Isak was barely offside before he managed a well-timed finish. Isak then missed a chance by shooting wide, and shortly after the break, Gordon sent another opportunity off-target after receiving a pass from substitute Harvey Barnes.
It turned out to be a costly mistake because just two minutes later, Wan-Bissaka received a pass from Jarrod Bowen and struck a low shot past Nick Pope, finding the back of the net off the far post.
Arsenal, who are experiencing a revival, will be the next team to play at the London Stadium on November 30. This will be followed by a midweek match against Leicester, and then two consecutive Monday night games against Wolves and away at Bournemouth. With his team currently six points ahead of the relegation zone, Lopetegui is optimistic that this marks the beginning of a positive turn for them.
"I focus on the present rather than discussing Europe," the West Ham manager stated. "Our attention is on today's tasks. As for tomorrow, we'll tackle the next challenge one step at a time. Worrying about the distant future doesn't benefit us."
"West Ham has the potential to be a strong team. We have the ability to achieve great things, but our main challenge lies in becoming a cohesive and resilient unit."
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Carragher: Huge Win For Lopetegui
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Jamie Carragher from Sky Sports shared his thoughts during Monday Night Football:
"It's an impressive outcome for West Ham, but you can expect it to be a challenging match for any team visiting Newcastle on a Monday night."
It was a challenging match for both Man City and Liverpool. The chances of them securing a victory seemed low, yet they managed to come out on top.
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They need to leverage this as a launching pad for future success. This matters more for the manager than for West Ham itself.
If they had lost this match and then the next one against Arsenal, they would have found themselves much nearer to the relegation zone.
It's clear that the circumstances surrounding the fans and the owners would have created a lot of tension for the manager.
Paqueta Controls Midfield For West Ham’s Success
Ben Grounds from Sky Sports:
Crisis? What crisis? This is exactly what West Ham supporters have been longing for this season: a squad that shows determination, toughness, and a sharpness in their attacking play.
Soucek and Wan-Bissaka teamed up to deflate Newcastle's momentum, giving Lopetegui some much-needed relief with a valuable away victory in the Premier League.
Eddie Howe's team was responsible for conceding both goals, and they also failed to make the most of their considerable ball control. On a night when they missed several opportunities, their chances of moving into the top six slipped away.
In contrast, the visiting team was deadly on counterattacks and showcased the smoothest sequences of play.
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Joe Willock sent a shot just past Fabianski's left post, but with Carlos Soler connecting effectively with standout performer Lucas Paqueta in midfield, along with Bowen and Crysencio Summerville pushing forward aggressively from the wings, the Hammers consistently posed a danger during counterattacks.
The home team was struggling defensively, and it required multiple crucial blocks along with Pope's saves from Soucek and Soler to keep their chances of making a comeback alive.
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Howe expressed, "I wasn't pleased with the last thirty minutes; we really lost our focus and seemed overly eager to find the net. We made some poor choices with the ball, and when we review this match later, it'll be a game we'll regret."
"For both of their goals, we can acknowledge that we made some errors. Allowing a player like Soucek, who is excellent in the air, that much space in the box is a big mistake. It's frustrating for us, especially since we started the match strongly and had them on the back foot. The second goal was just too straightforward. This isn't typical for us, as we've been solid defensively in recent weeks."
To Callum Wilson's surprise, his requests for a penalty were denied during his first game of the season, despite a rough tackle from fellow substitute Konstantinos Mavropanos. This fortunate turn of events reflected the level of play West Ham had displayed.
Bowen: Key Moment In Our Season
Jarrod Bowen from West Ham chatting with Sky Sports:
"I mentioned that we needed to put on a strong performance, and we certainly did. Newcastle consistently finds the back of the net when playing at home, so managing to both keep a clean sheet and score twice is quite an achievement, especially in such a challenging environment."
"We executed that flawlessly. The goal is always to win the match. It was our responsibility to score the second goal; if you become complacent with a lead, it can come back to bite you."
"That's the kind of commitment needed to represent this club. Everyone displayed great determination, effort, and skill. It's essential that we take the time to recover because we have a huge match coming up on Saturday against Arsenal."
"They're an excellent team. We can learn a great deal from this match. Our current group is really strong, and there's a genuine sense of unity among us. However, it can be challenging to maintain that cohesion when new players join."
It's my responsibility to demonstrate what it truly means to represent this club. Everyone is on the same page. We have been let down by our performance this season, but today felt like a step in the right direction.
"We need to aim for European football every year."
