West Ham took the lead twice, but had to settle for a point at St.James’ Park against Newcastle. The Hammers probably edged Steve Bruce’s side on the day and looked good for all three points, a draw wasn’t a terrible result either, especially given Newcastle’s form at home and West Ham’s abysmal run on the road.
Here are our talking points from the game.
Goals again for Tomas Soucek and Michail Antonio: They got on the scoresheet in the 3-2 win over Chelsea, and Tomas Soucek and Michail Antonio were again on target for the Hammers here. Antonio was virtually gifted his by Jamaal Lascelles, while Soucek finished well from close range after Declan Rice’s initial effort had rebounded off the bar.
The Hammers have struggled for consistency in the goal scoring department, and it’s rare to see players find the back of the net in consecutive league games.
Wait for two consecutive league wins continues: While goals have been tough to come by, West Ham have also never won two consecutive league games in David Moyes’ second stint. For a while, this looked like they might break the duck, but it eventually ended up being another case of points lost from winning positions (apparently West Ham have squandered 24 such points this season according to the commentators!)
Fornals error proves costly: It was an error from Jamaal Lascelles that gifted West Ham their opener, but it was a similar gift from Pablo Fornals that lead to the Newcastle equaliser. The Spaniard made a mess of the offside trap as he stood in the background- a costly, costly error. Fornals did some good things in this game- he had a crucial hand in the opener, but this was a disappointing mistake.
A good day for Jarrod Bowen, but not so much for Lanzini: Bowen again showed plenty of heart, and was instrumental in helping Ryan Fredericks contain Allan Saint-Maximin down Newcastle’s left wing. It was however another disappointing performance from Manuel Lanzini- virtually anonymous, and Moyes has to figure how to get the little Argentine and Felipe Anderson back in top gear.
Another good game for Declan Rice, but midfield headaches continue for Moyes: He’s probably been West Ham’s most consistent outfield player this season, and this was another very decent game for Declan Rice. With Mark Noble on the bench, he got a greater opportunity to showcase his passing abilities, and didn’t disappoint! A good game with Soucek in the middle, but West Ham somehow need to solve the issue in their No.10 and left wing positions. Anderson and Lanzini are out of form, and Fornals doesn’t really get to showcase his talent on the wing, and would probably be a better fit in the centre of the park.
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