The recurring theme of West Ham’s failure to take advantage of their advantageous position to secure European football has been evident throughout this season. Considering the state of the table at the beginning of the new year, West Ham should have a significant lead over the other teams. However, this has not been the situation. Consistently, they have squandered points, and today’s loss to Newcastle is no exception.
The Hammers had a very unfortunate beginning when Vladimir Coufal made a terrible challenge on Anthony Gordon, leading to a penalty for the hosts. Despite a long VAR check, Isak successfully placed the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. Nevertheless, West Ham gradually gained control of the game and the balance of power changed once Lascelles was forced to leave the field due to injury. Antonio successfully received an exceptional pass from Lucas Paqueta, which was played with precision and skill, in the 20th minute. This allowed the Hammers to equalize the score.
The match was highly dynamic, with both teams attacking relentlessly. However, shortly before half-time, Paqueta and Bowen combined effectively from a swift free-kick, ultimately setting up Kudus to give the Irons the lead going into the intermission. West Ham emerged from the tunnel with great intensity, and a superb display of skill and precision by Kudus resulted in Bowen scoring a goal to increase their advantage by two, barely three minutes into the second half.
Regrettably, this is where the favorable aspects concluded. Newcastle had to utilize all of their available replacements due to injury, however, it was a substitution made by West Ham that ultimately had the decisive impact. Although not solely attributable to him, the introduction of Kalvin Phillips had a profound impact on the course of the game. Newcastle exhibited superior ball control and consistently created scoring opportunities. The English midfielder committed a foul that resulted in a penalty, which, to be fair, was a perplexing judgment made by the officials. Isak successfully scored another penalty kick.
As observed repeatedly in the past, the pressure overwhelmed David Moyes’ team, leading to a goal by replacement Harvey Barnes in the 83rd minute, resulting in an equal score. He proceeded to secure a victory in the 90th minute by scoring an extraordinary goal from a significant distance.
The loss can be attributed to inadequate officiating, a deficiency in player intensity, and ineffective in-game management. West Ham had complete control of the game, but they were unable to take advantage of the opportunity. The team has lost three crucial points and has only managed to win two out of their last eleven Premier League games. It is increasingly difficult to envision them accumulating enough points during a challenging series of matches to secure European football once again. This is particularly concerning considering the possibility of dropping to 11th place if the teams below them win their postponed matches.
