Substitute Harvey Barnes struck a spectacular winner in second-half added time to give heavily depleted Newcastle victory over West Ham in a seesaw classic in the race to finish in the top seven of the Premier League.
Alexander Isak gave the hosts the lead with a sixth-minute penalty for his 17th goal of the season after Vladimir Coufal’s clumsy challenge on Anthony Gordon, but Michail Antonio levelled with a terrific finish 15 minutes later, latching on to a lofted Lucas Paqueta pass.
Bruno Guimaraes hit the crossbar and Gordon missed a golden chance when the England newcomer was unmarked inside the penalty area before Mohammed Kudus gave West Ham the lead for the first time, capitalising on a quickly-taken free-kick 10 minutes into first-half added time.
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Jarrod Bowen surged clear three minutes after the break and ruthlessly beat goalkeeper Martin Dubravka to give West Ham a two-goal cushion, only for Isak to score another penalty and launch Newcastle’s comeback 13 minutes from time after substitute Kalvin Phillips had brought down Gordon.
Barnes collected Isak’s threaded pass and showed immense composure to slot in six minutes later – and there was even better to come for the winger when Gordon teed him up to curl in the winner.
Gordon received a second booking for kicking the ball away after the decisive goal – but that will be an afterthought for those who witnessed this thriller on a day when the Magpies moved a point behind the seventh-placed Hammers with a game in hand.
UNBELIEVABLEEE!!! 🤩
Harvey Barnes makes it 4-3 Newcastle! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/taq6oOePdk
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 30, 2024
Newcastle v West Ham result: Premier League epic
Anyone who had been longing for the return of club football during the international break would have been richly rewarded by an extravagantly entertaining first game of the Premier League weekend featuring a plethora of goals, swings in momentum and injuries.
Isak converted his penalty following a lengthy VAR check for offside in the build-up to Coufal’s foul on Gordon, but the tone of the first half was perhaps set when Newcastle – already missing centre-back Sven Botman to a long-term knee issue, among their absentees – lost Jamaal Lascelles soon after first going ahead.
Even after seeing their side score three without reply, the 3,000 travelling West Ham fans would have had the jitters as Newcastle continued to spurn a succession of presentable opportunities once Bowen had scored a goal which will further his ambitions of heading to Uefa Euro 2024 with England.
Eddie Howe’s reaction after Newcastle came from 3-1 down to go 4-3 up! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/lle5gWCqr3
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 30, 2024
West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola made way for Lukasz Fabianski through injury at the break, and the former Poland international was kept busy by opponents who would doubtless have happily settled for only one enforced change.
Lascelles’ replacement, Emil Krath, joined Tino Livramento and Miguel Almiron in departing prematurely, adding to Newcastle’s heaving treatment table for the final eight games of their season.
The ruefulness manager Eddie Howe will feel about sustaining more injuries will be tempered by the knowledge that Barnes might not have been on the pitch for his match-winning late heroics had he not replaced Almiron.
Newcastle were arguably due a little luck, and the impact Barnes’ goals may have on their pursuit of more European football could prove priceless.
