Newcastle 4 West Ham 3: Howe's stunning return after injury disruption

A late comeback from the Magpies seals their Victory

 Newcastle United made a remarkable late comeback to defeat West Ham United at St James's Park in one of the games of the Premier League season.

The home team, trailing 1-3 at the end of the second half and missing three players to injury, scored three goals in 13 minutes to seal an unlikely victory. Manager Eddie Howe said the international break would be an opportunity for his team to restart their season and qualify for Europe in the final 10 games of the season. At one point in the second half it looked like there was no chance of winning, but he now hopes the nature of the win can breathe new life into a team that had faced a fourth defeat in five top-flight games. There will be. Alexander Isaac scored a penalty in each half, and substitute Harvey Barnes made a huge impact with two goals, including the winning goal in the 90th minute.

Goals from Michail Antonio, Mohamed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen after Isak's opener put West Ham in full control, especially with injuries to Newcastle's Jamaal Lascelles, Tino Livramento and substitute Miguel Almiron. Ta. But Newcastle somehow found a way to turn things around despite Anthony Gordon receiving a late red card.

George Corkin and Chris Waugh attempt to analyze a game that defies logic. How on earth could Newcastle achieve this?

God only knows, but God, that was sweet, and God, it was necessary. Please reset, readjust, and try again. It was an expression used by Newcastle's coaching staff during a first-team training camp in Dubai, but in what has been a grueling season of repetition, this grueling game felt like a microcosm.

After all those injuries, all the setbacks, and a comeback after so many years, Newcastle came from behind to win for the first time this season. For much of the match, that looked highly unlikely as the players dropped like flies and West Ham took the lead.

Although they lost the match 3–1, the momentum shifted when Gordon was brought down by Kalvin Phillips for the home side's second penalty of the match. Suddenly West Ham collapsed and St James' Park felt the unimaginable was possible. Howe has been criticized this season for the way he uses substitutes, often with few options, but in this case the impact was dramatic. The release of right-back Jacob Murphy and the addition of Barnes as well as Lewis Hall and Elliott Anderson have given Newcastle bright prospects. It was an incredible turnaround.

Jamaal Lascelles was taken off with what appeared to be a knee injury 

Ultimately, the story of this match will be about the late goal and victory, but it wouldn't be a Newcastle press conference without a section on injuries. Click here for the latest news from Casualty United. After losing Sven Bosman and Luis Miley during the international break, Lascelles, Libramento and Almiron were the next to drop. The captain went down on his knee in the 11th minute and was replaced six minutes later by Emil Craft. The immediate damage was severe. To accommodate Craft, Howe's other full-backs all swapped positions, with Libramento moving to left-back, Dan Byrne to left-centre back and Fabian Schaal to right-centre-back. The effect was amazing, with West Ham releasing Antonio and equalizing thanks to a ball between Schaal and Craft.

More broadly, Lascelles' long-term absence will leave Howe with few options at the heart of the defense if he is penetrated. Libramento was taken off in the second half after hanging on the grass, while Almiron, also suffering from a knee problem, came on as a substitute 10 minutes into the match. Misfortune never comes alone. Why do Newcastle keep conceding goals on counterattacks?

Given this result, it may seem rude in hindsight, but in four matches in four months at St. James' Park, different opponents showed almost the same obvious flaw: an inability to defend on the counter-attack. I abused it. Nottingham Forest, Luton Town, Bournemouth and now West Ham have all scored in this way, and while it ultimately doesn't cost them much, it is a problem for Howe.

Newcastle were too open for Antonio's first goal, with a high ball passing through the back four and not being cleared by Martin Dubravka, who remained in his own penalty area, but after West Ham's third goal, the hosts The team's defense has become particularly strong. worst. From a Newcastle corner, Tomas Soucek headed the ball to Kudus, who beat several players to break through down the left flank. Librament tried to cover the ball, but Kudus focused on Bowen, who found himself in acres of space and the Newcastle defenders could not get back fast enough. Dubravka again considered whether to leave or quit, but instead decided to do neither and allowed Bowen to return home.

Newcastle were solid last season, but this season they have a vulnerability that opponents have too often exploited. Newcastle have conceded three or more goals seven times in their last 15 games and cannot always rely on four goals to win games at this level.

What's next for Newcastle? Tuesday 2nd April: Everton (Men), Premier League, 7.30pm BST, 2.30pm AEDT.

Newcastle completed a home and away double against Everton last season, winning their last three games at St James' Park, but lost 3-0 at Goodison Park in December, resulting in a total They ended up with a dismal record of 8 games and 7 losses. competition. .