Eddie Howe finally has a reason to smile.
Newcastle secured a victory, boosting team morale before a potentially momentous week for the club.
After recent setbacks due to injuries, suspensions, and FA Cup elimination, Newcastle regained some confidence thanks to Bruno Guimaraes’s decisive goal against West Ham.
Although Newcastle’s performance wasn’t top-tier, they showed enough control against West Ham to secure a win and climb to sixth place, level on points with Manchester City in the Champions League spots.
This victory was achieved despite missing key players like Sven Botman and Lewis Hall, as well as Anthony Gordon.
Howe risked starting Alexander Isak, who, while not at his sharpest, avoided injury before the upcoming final.
Concerns about players being distracted by the upcoming final have been present in Newcastle. Their performances have been somewhat inconsistent since reaching the final.
West Ham, under Potter, welcomed back Lucas Paqueta from injury sooner than expected, but he started on the bench. West Ham had the initial chances, with Tomas Soucek missing an early opportunity.
Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus had attempts for West Ham, while Harvey Barnes had chances for Newcastle in a subdued first half.
West Ham’s defense has improved under Potter, but Newcastle didn’t heavily test them in the first half. Kudus missed a good chance for West Ham after the break.
Newcastle’s breakthrough came when Bruno Guimaraes scored after a Harvey Barnes cross, following an earlier blocked attempt.
West Ham responded with substitutions and appeals for a penalty when Bowen went down under Guimaraes’s challenge, but claims were dismissed.
Despite a brief attacking push, West Ham seemed deflated after conceding. West Ham, sitting comfortably mid-table, may be heading towards an uneventful end to the season, allowing Potter time to assess his squad for the future.
Marcus Bellamy