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Aaron Wan-Bissaka celebrates scoring against Newcastle. Alamy Stock Photo

West Ham strike twice to take pressure off Lopetegui and deny Newcastle top-six spot

Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were on target for the victorious Hammers.

TOMAS SOUCEK AND Aaron Wan-Bissaka combined to burst Newcastleโ€™s bubble as West Ham handed under-pressure boss Julen Lopetegui breathing space with a priceless Premier League away win.

Soucek headed the Hammers into a first-half lead in front of a largely stunned crowd of 52,094 at St Jamesโ€™ Park before Wan-Bissakaโ€™s first goal for the club ended the Magpiesโ€™ three-game winning run in all competitions with a 2-0 defeat which prevented them from climbing into the top six.

Eddie Howeโ€™s men were culpable for both goals, but also guilty of not using the wealth of possession they enjoyed effectively enough on a night when chances went begging.

By contrast, the visitors were lethal on the break and produced the most fluent passages of play to leave Tyneside more than satisfied with a job well done.

The visitors took a 10th-minute lead when Soucek was left criminally unmarked by Lloyd Kelly, deputising for the suspended Dan Burn, to power home a header from Emerson Palmieriโ€™s corner.

Joe Willock whipped a shot just wide of Lukasz Fabianskiโ€™s left post but, with Paris St Germain loanee Carlos Soler linking well with Lucas Paqueta in the centre of midfield and Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville taking a direct approach from the flanks, the Hammers were a constant threat on the counter.

Sean Longstaff headed straight at Fabianski from Anthony Gordonโ€™s floated 29th-minute cross and Lewis Hall sent a skidding shot just past the upright as the hosts responded.

Fabianski blocked Gordonโ€™s 36th-minute shot from point-blank range after defender Jean-Clair Todibo had failed to deal adequately with Longstaffโ€™s low cross, and Alexander Isak, who had earlier seen a good finish ruled out for offside, blasted off target after controlling Bruno Guimaraesโ€™ cross on his chest, although he may again have gone marginally too soon.

Nick Pope had to pluck Bowenโ€™s dipping snapshot from under his crossbar deep into added time, but the first half ended with the visitors a goal to the good.

Harvey Barnes, who scored twice inside the final seven minutes in Newcastleโ€™s 4-3 comeback win in the corresponding fixture last season, replaced Willock at the break and helped his side lay siege to the West Ham goal in an early flurry.

Gordonโ€™s 51st-minute prod sailed just the wrong side of the far post with Fabianski beaten, but Wan-Bissaka enjoyed better fortune two minutes later when he ran on to Bowenโ€™s pass inside and steered a shot across Pope and in off the upright.

The hosts were in disarray at the back and it took a series of blocks and Popeโ€™s saves from Soucek and Soler to preserve their hopes of a fightback.

Substitute Sandro Tonali sent Tino Livramento away down the right to cross for Isak, but the misfiring Sweden international was unable to direct his header at goal, and Callum Wilsonโ€™s penalty appeals, to his astonishment, were waved away on his first appearance of the season following a clumsy challenge by fellow substitute Konstantinos Mavropanos.

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    Mute Brian Dunne
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:38 PM

    Eddie howe seems to get a very easy ride from the media

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    Mute Ronan Barrett
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    Nov 26th 2024, 5:29 AM

    Julen Lopetegui you footballing genius COYI

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