Newcastle fought back to grab a well-earned point at West Ham, as Eddie Howe’s side are now six games unbeaten in the Premier League.
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Top-four chasing West Ham took the lead through Craig Dawson’s header but a mistake right on half time allowed Joe Willock to hook home impressively as Newcastle were resolute and lively on the counter.
Windy conditions impacted the game in east London, as neither team could carve out chances to win it.
The point leaves West Ham on 42 for the season after 26 games, while Newcastle have 22 points after 24 games and could be five points clear of the relegation zone after this weekend.
West Ham vs Newcastle final score, stats
West Ham 1-1 Newcastle
Goals scored: Dawson 32', Willock 45+1'
Shots: West Ham 11, Newcastle 14
Shots on target: West Ham 3, Newcastle 3
Possession: West Ham 47, Newcastle 53
Three things we learned from West Ham vs Newcastle
1. Magpies continue to dig deep: They were missing some big players in Trippier, Wilson, Lascelles and Allan Saint-Maximin, but Newcastle dug deep and got a valuable point on the road. Newcastle are now six games unbeaten in the Premier League and they’ve conceded just four goals in that run. That shows you how much they have improved defensively under Eddie Howe and that wasn’t something many thought he could do. Dan Burn and Matt Targett have hit the ground running since their arrival in January and both were superb at West Ham. Going forward Newcastle were dangerous on the break and Newcastle have given themselves a great platform to pull away from the relegation zone in the coming weeks.
2. Hammers have hit the wall: West Ham have now won just one of their last five Premier League games and it looks like their small squad has hit the wall as they battle for a top four finish. In truth, consecutive top six finishes would be beyond David Moyes’ wildest dreams, but there is a real chance here for West Ham to finish fourth. They aren’t taking that chance as they have looked sluggish, tired and have lacked creativity. Perhaps that is to be expected after a long, hard season so far in Europe and the PL and West Ham’s lack of squad depth is finally starting to catch up with them.
3. Weather conditions a factor: This was not a free-flowing game packed with creativity. The swirling winds made it a real challenge and that led to Declan Rice’s mistake for Newcastle’s goal. This was a day where defenders took no chances and there were a lot of safety first clearances out of the back. We will see that a lot across the Premier League this weekend as the stormy conditions in England are not conducive to silky play.
Man of the Match: Matt Targett - Did a great job defensively against Jarrod Bowen and summed up Newcastle’s commitment.
Even clash in east London
After an end-to-end start, Jarrod Bowen almost took the lead as his shot across goal was tipped onto the bar by Martin Dubravka.
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Newcastle improved but then Craig Dawson headed home Aaron Cresswell’s superb free kick to give the Hammers the lead. Bowen caused a few problems as West Ham pushed for a second but right on half time Newcastle equalized.
Declan Rice’s poor defensive header allowed Willock to hook home, as his lovely flicked shot hit the post and just bounced over the line.
Conditions impact flow
Willock curled a shot just wide in the second half as both teams struggled to grab control of the game, but Newcastle whipped plenty of crosses into the box.
As the rain hammered down and wind swirled around at the London Stadium, both teams failed to create chances and had to settle for a point.
