West Ham finally ended their miserable wait for a home win, producing a spirited comeback to defeat Newcastle 3-1 at the London Stadium. The match began in nervy fashion as Jacob Murphy fired the Magpies ahead within minutes, moments after captain Bowen had struck the post at the other end. However, Espirito Santo’s men responded superbly, maintaining pressure until Lucas Paqueta restored parity with a thunderous strike from distance.
The turnaround was completed before half-time when Sven Botman, sliding in to cut out Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s low cross, diverted the ball into his own net. That fortunate moment gave the home side belief, and their persistence was eventually rewarded deep into stoppage time as Tomas Soucek reacted quickest to a rebound after Nick Pope had denied Bowen. It was a well-earned victory for West Ham, who also saw a first-half penalty overturned by VAR after replays showed Newcastle’s Malick Thiaw had touched the ball before fouling Bowen.
The result brought a wave of relief for a team that had gone nine months without a home win in the Premier League. West Ham’s previous struggles underlined how much this victory meant, especially as it lifted spirits around the club despite ongoing tensions with supporters. The win keeps the Hammers in the relegation zone but narrows the gap to 17th-placed Burnley to just three points.