Joe Willock earns Newcastle precious point as West Ham stutter in race for Champions League

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You could just about feel the lingering impact of Storm Eunice at the London Stadium, but the only disruption here was the damage Newcastle have done to West Ham’s top four bid. This was a match that David Moyes side needed, and were expected, to win to keep those Champions League hopes alive. But with the competition around them tightening and another game down, momentum is no longer with them. The boos at the full-time would tell you that.

Newcastle will hope that they are soon in West Ham’s position, fifth in the Premier League and fighting for the Champions League places. But this was a day, and line-up, for a scrap and Eddie Howe’s side come away having earned a point to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League to six matches and move a step closer to survival.

Of the two teams, Newcastle came into this lunchtime fixture on the better run of form. But while Newcastle might have arrived at the London Stadium with their relegation fears slightly eased by three wins in a row in the Premier League, any pre-match optimism would have been burst by the surprise absence of Allan Saint-Maximin due to injury, which compounded the loss of Kieran Trippier to a broken foot this week.

With those two key names out of Howe’s side, Newcastle were left with a starting line-up that looked distinctly average and befitting of a side 17th in the table, but they made the brighter start and if anything looked like the team competing for the top four.

If there was a lull after the storm had passed, West Ham were almost caught out by it inside four minutes. Declan Rice fell asleep inside the box and allowed a ball to drop with Joelinton lurking in behind, forcing Lukasz Fabianski to be alert and save at his near post.

It led to a decent opening spell for the away side, who stuck to Howe’s plan despite missing the spark that Saint-Maximin could have provided, certainly on the Frenchman’s left side. It was there where Matt Targett found space to work a couple of openings, while Joe Willock drove forward from midfield.

The problem was the lack of a decisive finishing touch. Jacob Murphy’s pull-back was cleared by Kurt Zouma with Chris Wood stood on his heels, before Wood delivered a lovely ball from the right that he ideally would have been the recipient of. Joelinton thrashed a shot well over the bar that rather summed up the lack of progress Newcastle were making, even if their generally play was sharper.

West Ham’s best moments of a sodden opening half hour were invariably sparked by Jarrod Bowen and the ripples of excitement that worked their way around the ground when he glided forward. It led to their first chance, as Rice played a wonderful pass out wide to Pablo Fornals, who headed on to Bowen. With the angle closing and on his right foot, he took the shot and controlled the rising ball to force an excellent stop from Martin Dubravka, who tipped onto the post.

It would have been a stretch to suggest that West Ham were playing well, however, when they took the lead. Emil Krafth, filling in for Tripper at right back, looked uncomfortable as Michail Antonio drove towards him. His answer was to bundle the forward over to the cost of yellow card and free kick on the edge of the box.

From there, Aaron Cresswell delivered an excellent whipped cross to find Craig Dawson’s run to the near post. Dawson had found space between Krafth and Dan Burn to plant a simple header past Dubravka on 32 minutes.

It was perhaps harsh on Newcastle and it was a cheap way to fall behind, but they found themselves level heading into the break thanks to a gift of an equaliser from West Ham. The danger again came from the left, with Ryan Fraser drifting to the opposite flank to round Murphy and stand a cross up to the back post.

There was no immediate danger, with no Newcastle forwards in reach of the cross, but Rice made a mess of the header to send it back towards his own goal as if the ball hit off the wrong side of a 50p coin. The impressive Willock stayed alive to beat Dawson and Ryan Fredericks to the dropping ball to and steer a shot back across goal and in off the post for his first of the season.

There was to be considerable frustration from the home fans in the second half. Targett continued to do an excellent job of closing down Bowen, staying on his feet to shut down a weaving run into the box. Antonio failed to threaten, his head dropping after a misplaced pass in midfield, and a shot curled blazed over the bar after driving into the box had all the hallmarks of a player low on confidence and now without a goal in seven in the Premier League.

The mood, which at one point had been expectant, had turned as Willock shimmied under little pressure on the edge of the box before bending a shot narrowly wide of the far post, but the response failed to follow. Said Benrahma took his time to make his way off the pitch as he replaced by Nikola Vlasic, before appearing to row with David Moyes on the touchline.

Newcastle did not push for the win but rather settled for a point that Howe would have gladly accepted before a ball was kicked. Antonio was called upon to launch long throws into the area but Dubravka was not at all troubled in the Newcastle goal. It had been a damaging 24 hours in London, and now West Ham are left to inspect to wreckage.