Newcastle United were dealt a sobering Premier League defeat against West Ham United on Monday evening, keeping Eddie Howe’s squad moored in tenth place after 12 matches.
It was a missed chance, no two ways about it. Victory on home turf against a struggling side would have seen Newcastle bridge the gap to the front of the table, putting them just two points behind Manchester City.
Alas, poor execution in the final third gave the Irons chances to strike an upset on Tyneside – and strike they did, through the always dangerous Tomas Soucek and unlikely marksman Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Why Newcastle lost to West Ham
As already alluded to, it was an inability to finish things off that unravelled Newcastle like a poorly wrapped Christmas present here. For large segments, especially in the first half, the Magpies were on top and showcased their well-crafted sequences.
0
2
18 (2)
15 (6)
2
0
52.4%
47.6%
8
3
21 (62%)
27 (74%)
40%
60%
It was perhaps summed up in the closing stages. St. James’ Park’s decibel levels had risen upon the glare of the minutes board, conveying to the stadium that there would be six minutes of additional time.
Soon after, with the hosts ramping up the pressure, a fizzed delivery fell kindly to Alexander Isak, who failed to score in his fifth successive game after skewing the aerial ball.
On another day, Newcastle might have had three, but it was a dreary Monday evening and it just didn’t come together for a side that had impressively won their past three fixtures in all competitions.
Isak wasn’t at his best, but he wasn’t the only forward to toil. Indeed, Anthony Gordon produced a lacklustre effort once again. the 2023/24 Player of the Season is struggling to recapture that giddying form.
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This is not the time to panic; Newcastle’s form is chequered, but the bigger picture regarding the performance suggests that things could come together and fluency could be restored.
Crafting such fluidity might mean that Gordon needs to be benched. Shields Gazette branded the England international with a 4/10 match rating following the game, commenting that he ‘lacked his usual quality and conviction at key moments as he cut a frustrated figure on the field’.
How concerning is this for the Toon? Gordon proved last year that he has the quality and determination to succeed at the highest level, but he’s been off the boil for most of the campaign and failed to rewrite his seasonal narrative here.
As per Sofascore, the 23-year-old, who was hooked after 68 minutes, failed to even attempt a dribble as he was marshalled by Wan-Bissaka, also losing 80% of his ground duels (1/5) and creating just one key pass.
Of course, Gordon also missed a glorious opportunity to put his side into the lead.
Speaking of Gordon’s performances (as well as Isak’s) correspondent Luke Edwards said that the forwards “went missing” against Julen Lopetegui’s outfit, and it’s something that will need fixing fast – especially with crucial fixtures forthcoming against Crystal Palace and table-topping Liverpool.
Harvey Barnes made a positive impression when introduced for Joe Willock at half-time and demonstrated neat link-up play with Lewis Hall down the left channel.
Barnes, contextualising this, won three of five contested ground duels and completed his sole attempted dribble. Gordon is an immense talent, but maybe he needs to take to the bench for the next one – it could provide him with the boost he so needs.
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