POINT WELL MADE
Newcastle United 2 West Ham 2
A week ago this was a must win game but, having not won it, a point has still been won and well made. Moyes fields the same starting XI as against Chelsea, keeping Haller fresh for Burnley on Wednesday. Within four minutes West Ham are ahead – a golden start. A cross from the right by the ever-improving Bowen on the overlap and Antonio has time to trap it and lance it up into the roof of the net. Something in that moment suggests that the fear of relegation has subsided in the players. Newcastle look nuked, but they slowly settle and begin to get back into the game. On eight minutes an unintentional handball in the area by Ogbonna blocking Shelvey’s effort suggests a potential VARt attack, but the referee and the whole of Stockwell Park wave play on.
On ten minutes Antonio frees himself to get in a shot that Dubravka fields well, but six minutes later Newcastle are level. Cresswell tries an ambitious pass down the line that Shelvey blocks and Newcastle begin a run of possession that ends with Joelinton finding Krafth whose pacy cross is slid home by Miguel Almiron. The reaction from the West Ham players is surprise rather than disappointment. What a difference from this time last week. Only West Ham can change your reactions to goals from the opposition over a handful of days. From heart-stopping anxiety to mild irritation, thanks to that victory over Chelsea.
But West Ham should be able to win this, and they get stronger as the match progresses, Jarrod Bowen having a genuine chance to restore Hammers’ lead after the first drinks’ break. Aaron Cresswell is brilliantly found by Declan Rice and his low cross picks out Bowen who makes a decent solid goalbound contact, but Dubravka moves quickly to block it with his left foot, a reaction save that keeps his side in the game.
A lot of West Ham’s approach play is very easy on the eye, almost arrogant at times, and those of us who should know better lean back on our respective sofas, seemingly convinced that, whatever happens, West Ham are not going to lose this one. Fornals, Rice and Soucek knock it around, offering a swagger and confidence that the side have not shown since last August. It seems like another time, another era, and for now, it will certainly do.
The second half continues to reflect West Ham’s superiority, but for all the possession, the chances are few. Mark Noble comes on for Manuel Lanzini in the 57th minute, taking the captain’s armband off Rice, the first time he has been part of this West Ham BCD resurgence. Within just eight minutes of his appearance, Hammers are back in the lead again. As on Wednesday, the opportunity is created from a Bowen corner, which Rice attacks with a far post header that strikes the bar, and from the rebound Soucek volleys the ball confidently into the back of the net. Just a few days after his first West Ham goal, Soucek has doubled his tally, but ninety seconds later Newcastle are level again. A quick move of interchanged passes sees Shelvey through and he slots the ball home. West Ham’s perfect offside trap has been compromised by Fornals’ slow retreat out, and he has played the two Newcastle strikers’ onside. Quite why West Ham’s defence froze like they did is a mystery – even at my level of football I was always encouraged to play to the whistle. During the ensuing drinks’ break, Moyes makes it clear to his gathering of onfield players, that this was a completely unnecessary goal to have conceded.
Andriy Yarmolenko comes on for Fornals with a little over a quarter of an hour to play, in a clear attempt to encourage a repeat of history, but Newcastle aren’t as desperate as Chelsea to score, and even though Andy Carroll makes a late appearance, the game ends in a draw. Sixteen West Ham attempts to a whole lot less from Newcastle. Days were that that many attempts on goal on the road under Pellegrini might have taken four or five games. This was just one. Disappointing not to win it, but the point sets up Wednesday night’s game against Burnley. A victory then would take West Ham to 34 points and a Saturday lunchtime fixture against Norwich City, who may already be relegated by then. But perhaps be wary of counting chlorinated chickens – the swimming pools aren’t open yet…
1 Lucasz Fabianski, 3 Aaron Cresswell, 23 Issa Diop, 21 Angelo Ogbonna, 24 Ryan Fredericks, 41 Declan Rice (captain), 10 Manuel Lanzini, 28 Tomas Soucek, 17 Jarrod Bowen, 18 Pablo Fornals, 30 Michail Antonio
Substitutes: 16 Mark Noble, 7 Andriy Yarmolenko
Scorers: 30 Michail Antonio, 28 Tomas Soucek
