So congratulations to West Ham, who again look seriously well-drilled, fit and cohesive, despite a very bright start by Newcastle which brought them an early lead. Steve Bruce’s side were outclassed in the end, but if there is a positive to focus on for Magpies fans, it’s that there should be quite a few less challenging opponents to be found in the Premier League across the coming season. Thanks for reading today – why not head over to follow Tottenham v Manchester City right here –
Bye!
Here is Louise Taylor’s match report from St James’ Park:
Agree with this: Once Rice took the midfield by the scruff of the neck in the second half, it was essentially game over. Newcastle have plenty of danger in attack, but if your central midfield is being overrun, it makes little difference.
Well that was an awful second 45 minutes:
— Aaron Hindhaugh (@AHindhaugh98) August 15, 2021
Ritchie isn’t good enough, ‘passion’ and shouting isn’t enough
Clark seemed lost
We need another central midfielder#NUFC
Needless to say I’ll bring you any reaction from St James’ Park that I can find, too, but Sky Sports are focusing on Spurs v Manchester Originals now.
This is quite fair. The penalty call may not have been clear-cut, but it wasn’t ‘criminal’, as Michael Dawson characterised it:
Could pundits whose knowledge of the Laws of football is probably sketchy please stop discussing the validity of penalty calls, and feed this bloody cesspit of recrimination which football 'debate' has become? Enough, honestly. Do what Brian Clough did: accept, move on.
— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) August 15, 2021
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We will have a match report coming up soon, but meanwhile, Simon Burnton is building up to Tottenham v Manchester City here. Harry Kane has been left out of the Spurs squad:
There are reasons to be cheerful for Newcastle. Saint-Maximin was very dangerous, Wilson took his goal well and his positional sense offers a constant threat. Almirón was none too shabby either. But shipping four goals at home on the first weekend of the season ain’t great. Rice was relatively quiet in the first half, but after he popped up with the tackle on Saint-Maximin that ended with Benrahama’s goal, he seemed to take complete control of proceedings in the middle of the park. Newcastle’s lack of a top-class central midfielder was shown up, and obviously they need to defend better all round if they are going to prosper this season.
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West Ham are in Twitter heaven.
What a match! 😅
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 15, 2021
What a win! ☺️
What a start to the season! 💪
COME ON YOU IRONS ⚒❤️#NEWWHU pic.twitter.com/XB0haUsyx9
Michael Dawson, analysing things for Sky Sports, says the penalty decision against Murphy was ‘criminal, never a penalty, so, so so soft.”
“Never in a million years a penalty,” agrees Micah Richards.
Full-time! Newcastle 2-4 West Ham
Newcastle started well, but in the end, they were outclassed by West Ham who used the ball better, created more chances and were clinical when they needed to be. A few knives will be out for Steve Bruce already but West Ham, on that evidence, will be truly excellent again this season.
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90 min + 1: West Ham will make one final change with Ben Johnson readying himself to come on. We’ll have four added minutes. Antonio walks off, applauding the fans, with Johnson coming into the action.
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89 min: Just a matter of added time now. Andriy Yarmolenko comes on for Bowen. Antonio is named man of the match by Andy Hinchcliffe on Sky.
87 min: Benrahma goes off with Ryan Fredericks coming on for the last couple of minutes. A goal and an assist for Benrahma, so a very handy day’s work.
85 min: Murphy darts into the danger zone, towards the byline, and it looks for a moment as if a goal is coming, with Saint-Maximin waiting at the far post for a cross, but West Ham’s last line of defence saves them. From the resulting corner, the ball is half-cleared, and Ritchie smashes a volley goalwards, which deflects out for another corner.
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84 min: Krafth and Wilson go off for Newcastle: Longstaff and Joelinton on. Ogbonna and Fabianski nearly contrive to gift the hosts a goal, hesitating over a loose ball, but Fabianski dives in and clears.
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82 min: Rice continues to boss things. He floats a fine pass out to Coufal, as Ritchie shows himself up with a vain attempt to head the ball clear. Ritchie can’t reach it, and ends up in a heap, allowing Coufal to advance into the penalty area and cut the ball back to the edge of the box for his compatriot Soucek. He shoots low but wide.
81 min: Into the final 10 minutes and it’s going to take a miracle for Newcastle to get anything from this. West Ham just look much stronger, more accomplished on the ball, and in total control of this match.
78 min: Rice has shaken off that cramp, and he embarks on another powerful run straight down the middle, leading to some more desperate defending by Newcastle. Antonio is denied another chance but only just as a cross is cut out. The Magpies stream down to the other end, and the substitute Fraser curls a shot wide of Fabianski’s left-hand post.
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75 min: The commentator Bill Leslie on Sky Sports points out that Murphy’s header, which made it 2-1, was the last time Newcastle managed an effort on target. They have been outclassed in the second half. How about a 4-4 draw, in the style of that famous encounter against Arsenal in 2011? It looks unlikely.
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72 min: West Ham want more, and Benrahma emulates Saint-Maximin with a few demonstrative step overs. He earns the space to crack an inviting low cross across the six-yard box but Federico Fernández manages to clear. Ryan Fraser has come on for Jonjo Shelvey, for Newcastle, while Declan Rice now appears to be suffering from cramp for the visitors.
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Goal! 66 min: Newcastle 2-4 West Ham (Antonio)
A speedy, slick counterattack from West Ham leaves Newcastle with no answer and Antonio has his goal. He starts the move, then Benrahma is released on the left, as Antonio tears all the way down the field to collect a fine pass and drill a powerful shot into the far bottom corner from the right of the goal, with the home defence all over the shop. That is incredibly impressive from Antonio – both in terms of desire and fitness, and of course in terms of skill. As bright as Newcastle have been at times, you have to say that West Ham have always looked the more dangerous and more structured in possession. And they are proving that in this second half, having scored three goals in the space of 14 minutes.
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Goal! 63 min: Newcastle 2-3 West Ham (Soucek)
Antonio’s relatively poor penalty, low to Woodman’s left, is saved comfortably after the goalie guesses right. But Soucek pounces on the rebound and scores, tucking his finish confidently across goal and into the far top corner. It’s all happening.
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Penalty to West Ham!
The Hammers hit the woodwork with a header by Antonio, but Murphy then immediately fouls Fornals, and it’s a penalty! Antonio contrived to hit the post with a header from point-blank range after a slick move from West Ham tore Newcastle open – a fine diagonal pass from Fornals found Coufal bursting in from the right, and he crossed to the far post, but Antonio’s header cannoned back off a post. Antonio has a chance to make amends with a spot-kick, after the people in the VAR room confirm that it was indeed a foul by Murphy on Fornals in the area.
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59 min: Bowen races down the right for West Ham and attempts to cross low but it’s blocked - out for a corner. Newcastle deal with the set-piece. Half an hour left, and it’s anyone’s game.
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55 min: Saint-Maximin, probably annoyed with himself at losing the ball before that West Ham goal, storms into the danger area on the left wing. He crosses low, causing panic in the Hammers defence as usual, but they eventually manage to clear. In the next phase of play Saint-Maximin picks up the ball in a deeper position and curls a dangerous cross towards the far post. Wilson leaps to try and meet it, and misses, but it nearly flies into the net anyway. West Ham survive and they remain on level terms.
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Goal! 53 min: Newcastle 2-2 West Ham (Benrahma)
Lovely goal. Rice gets his foot in on Saint-Maximin, near halfway, stopping Newcastle in their tracks. He sprays a pass out to Bowen, who cuts in from the right, and fires a ball back across towards Antonio, which is overhit. Antonio does insanely well to half-control the pass, which then gives him the impetus to get to the byline and dig out a cross to the far post. Benrahma is well placed to nod in the leveller, a textbook downwards header that bounces up into the roof of the net. Nice!
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51 min: Shelvey scythes down Benrahma, in a central area, about 30 yards from goal. Cresswell will hit it. Cresswell does hit it. Cresswell hits it over the bar, and the home fans jeer.
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49 min: The Magpies are on the march again, this time down the left wing. Almirón finds the time and space to dig out a cross, but again it’s high and handsome and goes out for a goal kick. The hosts are getting into that final third with little fuss, however.
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46 min: Newcastle attack early doors. A ludicrous piece of skill – a two-stage drag-back/turn – from Saint-Maximin takes him away from his marker, and buys him the time to cross from the right. But he overhits the delivery, and it soars out for a goal kick. That was classic Saint-Max, though. Things happen when he gets on the ball.
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Second-half kick-off!
Here we go again. Can Newcastle make this game safe? Can West Ham grab a point, or more? Strap yourselves in.
Geoff Lemon has the cricket, live, right here!
Half-time! Newcastle 2-1 West Ham
And there it is. A lively 45 minutes of football, which erupted into life with Callum Wilson’s early header. Aaron Cresswell levelled matters for West Ham, despite Jarrod Bowen’s best efforts to be offside. And a lovely header by Jacob Murphy has the Magpies back in front. See you in a few minutes for more.
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45 min + 1: Almirón surges at the West Ham defence on the right, causing widespread panic, and wins a corner. That leads to a clear chance for Krafth, who side foots a shot over the bar from close range when he should have done better.
44 min: Benrahma has a sight of goal from about 25 yards for West Ham, and flashes a powerful, eye-catching effort just wide of Woodman’s goal. We will have two minutes of added time in the first half.
Goal! 40 min: Newcastle 2-1 West Ham (Murphy)
Newcastle attack down the left again. Almirón feints inside, but then turns back and slides a pass out wide to Ritchie on the overlap, who crosses again to the far post. Rushing in from the right, Jacob Murphy emerges from a crowd to nod a fantastically accurate, measured header back across goal which nestles in the far corner of the goal after bouncing once. And the crowd goes wild ...
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39 min: Newcastle pour down the left. Ritchie crosses. One of the Hammers defenders rises highest to half-clear. Saint-Maximin runs on to the bouncing ball, controls it and tries to rush towards the same byline as where he set up the first goal, but he is crowded out.
38 min: As we approach the final five minutes of the half there is a noticeable lull in the action. It’s hardly surprising because the pace has been hot ever since Callum Wilson’s opening header after just five minutes.
34 min: Now Newcastle’s Isaac Hayden has a crack, from a long way out, but it’s a naff effort that balloons harmlessly away from goal. Joe Willock is pictured sitting up in the stands with his family.
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32 min: Newcastle win a corner. Matt Ritchie swings in a superb curling delivery. Ciaran Clark rises highest to meet it, but cannot keep his header down and it flies over and into the crowd.
28 min: Now West Ham pour forward again, and Cresswell has time to whip in a fine cross to the far post from the left. It leads to a corner for the Hammers, which Newcastle manage to deal with. This is a very lively affair, between teams who look well matched – although it’s the visitors who are keeping possession and building attacks in the most accomplished fashion. Newcastle are fast and furious on the break but have not built up much passing rhythm so far. Fornals and Benrahma link up well, and the Algerian turns sharply and has a shot well blocked.
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25 min: Saint-Maximin fashions another chance for Newcastle - this time for Almirón. The Paraguayan cracks a left-footed shot from a central position which flicks off the top of the crossbar!
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23 min: Bowen, suddenly, has a clear sight of goal for West Ham from around 10 yards out after a smart first touch, and forces a good close-range save from Freddie Woodman in a one-on-one. Newcastle stream down to the other end immediately, Wilson gets on the ball close to goal, and he attempts an audacious backheel which Fabianski is able to save. This is end-to-end right now.
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Goal! 19 min: Newcastle 1-1 West Ham (Cresswell)
The ball is in the Newcastle net, after a classy build-up stretched the hosts, in which the ball was played into Antonio’s feet from the right wing. West Ham play the ball cleverly across to the other side of the penalty area, and it all ends with Cresswell sidefooting a dangerous ball from an angle, which flies straight into the net. Soucek nearly glances it goalwards, but misses it. Bowen does get on the end of it, and is clearly offside and the referee’s assistant’s flag is up - but a VAR check subsequently determines that the ball had already crossed the goal line when Bowen touched it. Therefore - it’s 1-1!
Note: It seems Soucek may have been credited with the goal but I’m sure it will end up going to Cresswell.
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15 min: Fornals plays a smart backheel on the left wing which releases Benrahama, who bursts away from his marker, but then immediately overcooks an attempted whipped ball across the Newcastle goal, which flies harmlessly away.
13 min: West Ham make inroads on their right wing, but Newcastle clear upfield, which very nearly turns into a swift counterattack – but a pass intended for Almirón in the centre doesn’t find its target. David Moyes is pictured in discussions with his assistants in the dugout. So far, his defenders haven’t been able to deal with this dangerous Newcastle forward line.
9 min: Newcastle come again, as Miguel Almirón slides a dangerous low pass towards an onrushing Isaac Hayden from the right. West Ham clear the danger, but only temporarily, and Hayden soon has a chance to fire a right-footed shot goalwards from just outside the area which cannons off a West Ham boot. After one early scare for the hosts, it’s been pretty much all Newcastle for about 10 minutes now.
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Goal! 5 min: Newcastle 1-0 West Ham (Wilson)
The hosts attack for the first time and the noise swells around the stadium. Allan Saint-Maximin pulls off two, three step overs out on the byline, on the Newcastle right. He takes his time, and having flummoxed his marker Declan Rice with the third in the series of sharp turns, he fires a simple and very accurate cross to the near post, where Callum Wilson is well positioned to nod it into the goal from point-blank range. Sometimes, those seemingly pointless lollipops actually lead to a goal!
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2 min: An early corner is fizzed in by West Ham which Soucek gets on the end of at the near post. The Czech midfielder directs a header goalwards, which is deflected out for another corner. Nothing comes of the second corner, but it’s a worrying start for Newcastle nonetheless, even if they eventually defended both set-pieces pretty well.
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First-half kick-off!
The players from both teams take the knee, in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and against all forms of discrimination. There is audible booing. And then the football begins, on that rather depressing note.
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The teams are out on the pitch. This being the north east, it’s teeming with rain. The fans at a nearly-full St James’ Park are making loads of noise. The football is here.
Kick-off is less than five minutes away. Joe Willock is out on the St James’ Park pitch, waving to the fans, after sealing his permanent move to Newcastle on Friday.
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Sad news from Germany where Gerd Müller, the legendary forward, has died aged 75:
The West Ham manager David Moyes speaks to Sky Sports, and is reminded of the opening-day defeat by Newcastle last season: “We’re much happier this year because we finished so well last year, but it’s gone, that’s in the past now and we’re back to square one, like everyone else ... Michail Antonio was our out-and-out No 9 last year, and we did OK with him, let’s hope he can do it again for us.
“I think we feel in a good place, we have got good players ... some of the players like Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal were new to the Premier League last season ... let’s hope they enjoy a season which is full of supporters ... places like this are always tough to come to, with the crowd here.”
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And here is John Brewin looking ahead to West Ham’s prospects for the coming campaign:
In other news, here is our season preview for Newcastle United, also by Louise Taylor:
Graeme Souness is talking about Dele Alli. So it’s the perfect opportunity to read this, from the excellent Louise Taylor:
Tomas Soucek of West Ham, displaying an unmistakable post-holiday suntan, during the warm-up.
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Sky Sports have just run an interview with Jack Grealish. Now the pundits are talking about Jack Grealish. I’m studiously ignoring all of this, because Newcastle v West Ham is the only show in town on this blog. Kick-off is a mere half an hour away.
How are you feeling, Newcastle fans and West Ham fans? Please email me or tweet @LukeMcLaughlin
Sky Sports point out to Steve Bruce that this is his 43rd season in football as a player or manager, and ask if he is still excited to be involved.
“If you don’t have that buzz ... then I think it’s time,” he replies. “This morning’s like my first one ... that tinge of anticipation, that butterflies ... how lucky have I been? Quite remarkable, somebody told me that the other day, 43 years. Quite remarkable.”
“Ready for the pain.”
Ah, that unbeatable start of the season feeling!
Here we go, ready for the pain. #NUFC pic.twitter.com/yY7VdJKoTr
— D.A.J (@DAJPoole) August 15, 2021
Starting lineups
Newcastle’s newest recruit, Joe Willock, isn’t available because his transfer was signed and sealed too late for him to be registered. For West Ham, Angelo Ogbonna and Manuel Lanzini were fitness doubts, but the former is in the starting lineup and Lanzini is on the bench.
Newcastle: Woodman; Krafth, Fernandez, Clark; Murphy, Shelvey, Hayden, Almiron, Ritchie; Wilson, Saint-Maximin Subs: Gillespie, Lascelles, Schar, Lewis, Hendrick, S.Longstaff, Fraser, Joelinton, Gayle
West Ham: Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma; Antonio Subs: Areola, Diop, Fredericks, Baptiste, Johnson, Coventry, Noble, Lanzini, Yarmolenko
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Preamble
Summertime ... and the football has started already. Whether or not you happen to believe August should be dedicated to cricket, the beautiful game is most assuredly back, and the living seems unlikely to be easy for Newcastle against West Ham this afternoon. The Magpies approach a new Premier League campaign with an air of distinct confidence, however: the services of last season’s loan star Joe Willock have been secured on a permanent basis while the talented attacking trio of Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almirón and Callum Wilson are raring to go. Their manager Steve Bruce says the aim is to qualify for Europe. That sounds optimistic but this is his third season in the job, so quite simply, he needs to deliver considerably more than another scrap for survival over the next nine months.
West Ham happen to be in this season’s Europa League following a stirring, highly watchable 2020-21 campaign – the question is whether they can maintain the same kind of productive form having neglected to do much in the way of summer recruitment (so far). The relentless midfielder Tomas Soucek helped Czech Republic to the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 and Hammers fans will be praying he had a sufficient chance to recharge the batteries while on holiday, because his form seems likely to be pivotal to their fortunes this season.
Are you ready? It doesn’t matter – this is happening anyway. Team news, pre-match reading and more coming up.
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