West Ham recorded a desperately needed victory and acquired perhaps just a modicum of belief in their battle against relegation as they picked off a surprisingly meek Newcastle in east London.
A Tomas Soucek ram-raid in second-half added time put the seal on a victory that was earned with a determined first-half display, with Nuno Espírito Santo’s face a barometer for his team’s fortunes. From gritting his teeth furiously after a fourth-minute concession, the West Ham manager was smiling by half-time, and roaring as the final whistle blew. Likewise, a crowd that struggled even to be frustrated early on found its voice.
The London Stadium was treated to a constant cascade of action in the opening half, though it took the home fans a fair time to warm to what was in front of them. This was fair enough, with the opening exchanges explaining any reluctance towards enthusiasm, as West Ham almost opened the scoring, only to fall behind about 30 seconds later.
The sequence began with the home side winning possession on the edge of their own box and Crysencio Summerville combining with El Hadji Malick Diouf to drive the ball down the left. The Hammers winger then smuggled the ball infield to Jarrod Bowen; the captain did what he does, getting his shot off, only to see it cannon off Nick Pope’s left-hand post.
