A pathetic performance and damaging defeat for Newcastle United, who threw away the momentum from three straight home wins with a pitiful display at the London Stadium.
It felt like the game where something had to give, as West Ham had waited since February for a Premier League home win, while we hadn’t won a league game on the road since April.
Sadly, it was Newcastle who continued that awful record, as our away-day woes went from bad to worse in what can only be described as one of our poorest displays away from St James’ Park under Eddie Howe, if not our poorest of the lot.
West Ham could’ve scored four or five, we had zero control or bite in the middle of the pitch, our passing was atrocious, creativity or spark was sorely lacking and we sat off completely after taking an early lead, then offered next to nothing in a pitiful second half, where Howe’s subs offered little to no impact.
Yes, we have just had a busy run of games, but after beating Benfica, Fulham and Spurs in our last three, seeing us arrive on a high and determined to kick on in the league, how can a team look so strong at St James’ Park and so weak, lazy and lacking in quality on the road?
It feels like three steps forward and two steps back, raising serious concerns around our lack of identity, drive or quality away from home comforts, while leaving us down in 13th and five points behind the top five pace.
Against a West Ham side who had lost five of their last six, shipped goals for fun and played like a team heading for relegation in recent weeks, it was a truly woeful display and massive opportunity missed to really get our season going in the league.
Howe made SIX changes from our midweek win over Spurs in the Carabao Cup, seeing Nick Pope, Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy return to the side.
It was great to see Lewis Hall back in the squad a month on from his hamstring injury, but Kieran Trippier was absent through illness, meaning Emil Krafth started at right-back for his first Premier League outing of the season. For the Hammers, Callum Wilson started against his former Toon teammates.
Five minutes in and there was action at both ends, as a 26-second passage of play fell perfectly in our favour. Moments after Bowen cracked the post, we broke straight down the other end and took the lead through Murphy, who fired into the far corner with an arrowing effort from just outside the box.
What a finish!
Jacob Murphy is at it again! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/PGGMs5nwI3
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 2, 2025
After the early scare and just one goal from our four away games on the road so far, it was the perfect start and a hammer blow for the hosts, putting us in control of a game we had to take by the scruff of the neck here.
Gordon had made such a poor start, running into trouble, failing to track his man and giving away the ball too cheaply. All of this very nearly cost us as Wan-Bissaka broke from his weak giveaway before Bowen went down in the box under Thiaw’s challenge. A penalty was given, but VAR replays showed the German got a toe on the ball. Decision overturned and Gordon could count himself lucky!
An awful giveaway, this time from Bruno, then put us on the back foot once again, with who else but Thiaw bailing us out once again with a brilliant back-post header from the centre-back stopping Wilson heading in at the back post.
West Ham had responded well to going a goal down, looking the better side as we struggled to keep the ball or build on Murphy’s early opener. We had no control of the game and went close to losing our lead once more, as a Bruno booking and resultant West Ham free-kick saw Paqueta’s effort pushed onto the post and wide by Pope.
Next to come close was Kilman, as another Hammers corner saw the centre-back find space and force Pope into another save. Another warning sign and we had to wake up, whether it was winning back control of the midfield, getting our wingers into the game or making it stick to Woltemade, who was often isolated or bullied off the ball up top.
Then, on 35 minutes, West Ham got exactly what they and we deserved. Another Paqueta shot from outside the box, only this one flew in. Pope got a hand to it and should’ve done better, but the goal had been coming and we can have no real complaints after such a poor start, where we lacked quality on the ball and looked laboured out of possession.
Lucas Paqueta, TAKE A BOW! 👏 pic.twitter.com/mXBKu9OUTl
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 2, 2025
That equaliser woke us up and Gordon finally came into the game, forcing Areola into a good save as the ball fell his way on the edge of the box following a fast break. Where was that urgency at 1-0, I would ask?
Then, to end a frankly awful first 45 minutes, we saw two moments that summed up our performance. Bruno passed the ball straight out of play, West Ham regained possession, broke down our right and Wan-Bissaka’s low cross was put through his own goal by Botman.
One moment of Murphy magic aside, it was a surprisingly complacent and completely lackadaisical first half display, allowing the home side to come right back into the game when we should’ve been going for the kill.
Howe’s anger at our pitiful showing so far was clear at the break, seeing him bring off the frankly awful Gordon, uninvolved Woltemade and rusty Krafth for Jacob Ramsey, Will Osula and Fabian Schar, meaning Thiaw moved to right-back.
Three changes made and we were seeing much more of the ball, but we rarely threatened as we entered the final 30 minutes, struggling to break down a West Ham side who were now sitting deep in a bid to see this one out. Something had to change and Howe made another, bringing off Botman and calling on Barnes in hope of some much-needed impact.
This was a West Ham side who could’ve genuinely conceded six or seven in their last home game against Brentford, yet we’d barely tested Areola, instead seeing Pope kept busy at the other end as he parried away one cross before saving a second Kilman header.
West Ham then smashed in what they thought was a third to make it 3-1, but we were saved by a marginal offside to deny Potts and keep the game alive. Another fortunate escape in a game that was rapidly getting away from us. We had to wake up and fast!
As we crept towards the 80th-minute mark, Howe’s final throw of the dice saw Anthony Elanga replace Murphy down our right. None of our substitutions had worked to this point, so we needed the Swede to step up in the midst of so many stinkers.
Sadly, our £55m winger offered little and we limited ourselves to hopeful (and often hopeless) balls into the box late on, with Osula the only one to go close as the Dane headed a good chance straight at Areola from Elanga’s delivery.
Five minutes of added time were signalled and West Ham cruised through it. We never looked like scoring and instead conceded again with the last kick, as Soucek tapped in after a quick counter and Bowen shot was initially stopped by Pope. An awful end to a truly abysmal display.
Next up for Newcastle, a midweek clash with Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League on Wednesday, followed by another trip to London as Brentford away next Sunday, which feels absolutely huge if we’re to sort out our Premier League form anytime soon.
Newcastle: Pope – Krafth, Thiaw, Botman, Burn – Bruno, Tonali, Joelinton – Murphy, Woltemade, Gordon
Subs: Ramsdale, Hall, Schar, Barnes, Osula, Elanga, Willock, Ramsey, Miley
West Ham XI: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Diouf, Potts, Bowen, Fernandes, Paquetá, Summerville, Wilson
Subs: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Igor, Mayers, Rodríguez, Magassa,Souček, Irving, Guilherme