Newcastle United’s hopes of securing a fourth consecutive Premier League victory were dashed as they settled for a 2-2 draw against West Ham United on Sunday. Mohammed Kudus’ late equaliser denied the Magpies maximum points after Alexander Isak’s brace had put them in the lead.
The match got off to a disappointing start for Newcastle as Tomáš Souček scored for West Ham within the first eight minutes. Souček tapped in from close range to give the Hammers an early advantage. However, Newcastle fought back in the second half with Isak’s quick-fire goals turning the tide in their favour.
Isak had the chance to complete his hat-trick and secure all three points for Newcastle, but his shot hit the post after he rounded West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. In a dramatic turn of events, West Ham equalised in the 89th minute through Kudus’ powerful strike from outside the box.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe made one change to the starting lineup, with Elliot Anderson replacing the suspended Anthony Gordon. Despite controlling possession in the early stages, Newcastle couldn’t prevent Souček from finding the back of the net. Lucas Paqueta and Emerson combined to set up Souček, who took advantage of a pass from the byline to score.
There was controversy when Newcastle’s Bruno Guimarães, who had already been booked, escaped a second yellow card after a foul on James Ward-Prowse. Newcastle had their chances to equalize, with Miguel Almirón and Dan Burn coming close but failing to find the target.
In the second half, Newcastle showed their resilience as Isak scored two goals in five minutes. Isak’s first goal came from a well-controlled finish inside the penalty area, and his second was a tap-in from a cross by Kieran Trippier.
Isak came agonisingly close to completing his hat-trick, but his shot hit the woodwork and bounced off West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd. Newcastle’s misfortune in front of goal was punished as Kudus scored a late equaliser for West Ham.
The draw leaves Newcastle in eighth place in the Premier League with 13 points. Despite missing out on the win, the Magpies can take confidence from their unbeaten run of seven matches in all competitions.
