Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka combined to burst Newcastle’s bubble as West Ham handed under-pressure boss Julen Lopetegui breathing space with a priceless Premier League away win.
Soucek headed the Hammers into a first-half lead in front of a largely stunned crowd at St James’ Park before Wan-Bissaka’s first goal for the club ended the Magpies’ three-game winning run in all competitions with a 2-0 defeat that prevented them from climbing into the top six.
Eddie Howe’s men were culpable for both goals, but also guilty of not using the wealth of possession they enjoyed effectively enough on a night when chances went begging.
By contrast, the visitors were lethal on the break and produced the most fluent passages of play to leave Tyneside more than satisfied with a job well done.
The visitors took a 10th-minute lead when Soucek was left criminally unmarked by Lloyd Kelly, deputising for the suspended Dan Burn, to power home a header from Emerson Palmieri’s corner.
Joe Willock whipped a shot just wide of Lukasz Fabianski’s left post but, with PSG loanee Carlos Soler linking well with Lucas Paqueta in the centre of midfield and Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville taking a direct approach from the flanks, the Hammers were a constant threat on the counter.
