West Ham United secured their first Premier League victory since August with a 3-1 comeback win over Newcastle United at the London Stadium, giving manager Nuno EspÃrito Santo his maiden triumph in charge.
The visitors struck early when Jacob Murphy fired low into the bottom-left corner in the fourth minute, punishing West Ham’s sluggish start.
Jarrod Bowen, who had already rattled the woodwork, thought he had earned a penalty midway through the first half after going down under pressure from Malick Thiaw, but a VAR review ruled the Newcastle defender had made a clean challenge.
West Ham’s persistence eventually paid off as Lucas Paquetá’s effort slipped through goalkeeper Nick Pope’s hands in the 35th minute to level the score.
Moments before half-time, Sven Botman’s attempted clearance from Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross deflected into his own net, turning the game in the Hammers’ favour.
Newcastle pushed hard after the break, but despite dominating possession, they struggled to find a way past a disciplined West Ham back line.
The hosts looked threatening on the counter, and substitute Freddie Potts briefly thought he had sealed the win only for his strike to be ruled out for offside.
The result was finally secured deep into stoppage time when Tomas Soucek bundled home from close range, sparking jubilation among the home supporters as West Ham recorded their first home league victory since February.
The win lifts West Ham out of their recent slump and offers a confidence boost heading into a busy run of fixtures, while Newcastle are left to rue missed chances and a defence that continues to leak goals on the road.
