Super-sub Harvey Barnes led a superb Newcastle United turnaround as they came from 3-1 down to beat West Ham United 4-3 and boost their hopes of European football next season.

The Magpies had taken the lead through Alexander Isak’s penalty but then conceded three unanswered goals by the 48th minute as Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen punished defensive errors.  

But despite a number of injuries in the match, Eddie Howe’s team showed the resolve to pull a goal back in the 77th minute through a second Isak penalty before Barnes struck twice in the last eight minutes of normal time to earn an enthralling victory. 

How the match unfolded

Newcastle made two changes as Jamaal Lascelles came in for the injured Sven Botman and Jacob Murphy replaced Miguel Almiron. For West Ham James Ward-Prowse replaced Edson Alverez who was banned. 

Two minutes into the match Newcastle won a penalty when Vladimir Coufal kicked Anthony Gordon’s achilles in an attempt to get to a loose ball first.

Isak converted from the spot for his sixth goal in his last eight appearances.

But Newcastle were dealt a blow when captain Jamaal Lascelles hobbled off to be replaced by Emil Krafth, a league-high ninth first-half substitution this season for Eddie Howe. And Krafth played a part in West Ham’s equaliser three minutes later when in the 21st minute Antonio eluded the substitute to run on to Lucas Paqueta’s lovely ball over the top and dispatch his shot past Martin Dubravka.

Gordon came close to regaining the lead for Newcastle via a header that went narrowly wide before Bruno Guimaraes hit the corner of the goal with a shot from outside the area.

In the 10th and final minute of first-half stoppage time West Ham went ahead. Paqueta took a quick free-kick as Fabian Schar stayed down after a blow to the face. His pass found Bowen, who drove into the area before cutting back to Kudus, who fired beyond Dubravka.

At 54 minutes and two seconds, the goal was the second-latest first-half goal on record in the Premier League (since 2006-07), after Francisco Trincao struck for Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leeds United on 55 minutes and 11 seconds in March 2022.

West Ham also had to make a change, as Lukasz Fabianski replaced the injured Areola at half-time, but it didn’t disrupt the visitors who made it 3-1 three minutes into the second half. West Ham countered from a Newcastle corner and Kudus dribbled down the left before finding a wide-open Bowen down the middle to register his eighth away Premier League goal this season, the most of any West Ham player.

Newcastle found a way back when they were awarded another penalty in similar fashion to their first as Gordon beat West Ham substitute Kalvin Philips to the loose ball and was fouled.

Isak sent Fabianski the wrong way to be the first Newcastle player to score two penalties in a Premier League match at St James' Park since Joey Barton against Arsenal in February 2011.

Less than six minutes later Newcastle were level. Substitute Barnes was sent through by Isak and he shot through Fabianski to make it 3-3 in the 83rd minute. Barnes secured the turnaround with a thunderbolt from outside the area as the clock ticked to 90 minutes.

In the seventh minute of stoppage time, West Ham had a glorious chance to snatch a point after Martin Dubravka had missed a cross and Tomas Soucek chested the ball wide of the gaping goal at the back post.

Newcastle’s first win from being two goals down in five years means they are now a point and a place behind West Ham in the race for a European spot.

Club reports

Newcastle | West Ham

Match officials 

Referee: Rob Jones. Assistants: Ian Hussin, Wade Smith. Fourth official: Darren Bond. VAR: David Coote. Assistant VAR: Eddie Smart.