Bruno Guimaraes was the hero as Newcastle United boosted their UEFA Champions League qualifying hopes with a 1-0 win over West Ham United.
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The Magpies skipper scored the only goal to settle a closely fought contest at the London Stadium ahead of their EFL Cup final against Liverpool on Sunday.
Guimaraes latched onto Harvey Barnes’ 63rd-minute cross to volley past Alphonse Areola, who produced a magnificent save to thwart a spectacular Max Kilman own-goal moments earlier.
Eddie Howe’s side were comfortably in control thereafter, as they secured only a second win in five Premier League matches.
Newcastle move up to sixth place – and two points off fourth-place Chelsea – while Graham Potter’s side stay 16th.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
28 | +17 | 49 |
| 5 |
Man City
MCI
|
28 | +15 | 47 |
| 6 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
28 | +9 | 47 |
| 7 |
Brighton
BHA
|
28 | +6 | 46 |
| 8 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
29 | -4 | 45 |
How the match unfolded
West Ham went straight on the attack with just 43 seconds on the clock when a cross to the far post reached Tomas Soucek, who fired over from inside the six-yard box.
Newcastle went close at the other end as Barnes diverted Kieran Trippier’s drilled effort towards goal, only to be denied by Areola, with the West Ham goalkeeper also saving the winger’s header soon after.
Areola came to the rescue again in the 61st minute, somehow managing to brilliantly claw the ball off the line after Kilman deflected Jacob Murphy's cross dangerously towards the hosts' net.
However, Areola was powerless as Newcastle broke the deadlock two minutes later, with Guimaraes arriving late to volley home Barnes' centre from inside the six-yard box.
West Ham attempted to push for the equaliser late on, but they never truly threatened the stubborn Newcastle defence, who held out for a first clean sheet in six matches across all competitions.
Hammers humbled on home soil
West Ham will have been confident heading into this match. After recording back-to-back victories, the Hammers were looking to record three straight Premier League wins for the first time since December 2023 under David Moyes.
Unsurprisingly, Potter named an unchanged starting side for a third game running. They almost made the ideal start, but Soucek will have been disappointed to have blazed over with only Nick Pope to beat.
However, as Newcastle grew into the contest, Areola had to be on top form to prevent the Magpies from striking first. After two smart reaction saves to deny Barnes, the Frenchman superbly leapt to his right to scoop the ball off the line from Kilman’s wayward clearance.
Yet, West Ham did not learn their lesson, and further slack defending was eventually punished, with Guimaraes allowed to ghost into the box and steer home.
The hosts struggled to mount a genuine push for an equaliser in the closing stages, and Newcastle were comfortable winners in the end. The Hammers head to Goodison Park this weekend to face former boss Moyes and his resurgent Everton side.
Magpies warm up for Wembley
Newcastle were seeking a response after their disappointing FA Cup exit at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
The Magpies will be without the suspended Anthony Gordon at Wembley, but Barnes certainly made the most of his opportunity to fill the void. The winger brought the best out of Areola at his near post, before providing the telling cross for Guimaraes to volley in the winning goal.
After three defeats in four matches in all competitions, that was the ideal reply by Newcastle ahead of their trip to Wembley.
Howe’s side are also right back in the race for the top four, though the two-point deficit may be increased after this weekend due to their absence from league action.
After extending their unbeaten Premier League streak at the London Stadium to six matches, they will hope for similar fortunes in the English capital next weekend, and that they finally end their 70-year wait for major silverware.
Club reports
West Ham report | Newcastle report
What the managers said
Graham Potter: “It ebbed and flowed a bit. We had a good start and they came back into it. Then we had some good opportunities. There wasn't much in it. We didn’t do enough to win the game but we could have got something out of it."
Eddie Howe: "One of our best wins of the season, not in terms of performance but desire and heart.
"All the big ingredients you need to be a successful team. Need to win when the game is tight and find a way to get over the line. We defended really well after the first three minutes which were a bit scary. Deserved win."
Next PL fixtures
Key facts
Barnes has nine goal involvements in 11 Premier League appearances against West Ham (six goals, three assists), against no side has he been involved in more.
West Ham have lost three of their last four Premier League matches on home soil, failing to score in all three, after winning four out of eight directly before that (D2 L2).
Newcastle have won their last two Premier League matches in London (also 2-1 v Tottenham Hotspur in January), stringing consecutive league victories together in the capital for the first time since April 2023 (v West Ham and Brentford).
Newcastle are now unbeaten in their last six Premier League matches at against West Ham (W4 D2), since a 2-0 loss in March 2019 under Rafael Benitez.
