Eddie Howe found it difficult to justify Newcastle United's lacklustre display in their 3-1 loss to West Ham in the Premier League. Despite an early lead from Jacob Murphy, Newcastle's performance quickly
deteriorated at London Stadium. Lucas Paqueta's long-range effort slipped past Nick Pope, and Sven Botman accidentally scored an own goal from Aaron Wan-Bissaka's cross, putting West Ham ahead by halftime.
In the second half, Newcastle's attack faltered, managing only one shot on target—a weak header by William Osula near the end of the match. Their woes were compounded when Jarrod Bowen led a swift counter-attack, resulting in Tomas Soucek scoring in the 97th minute. Howe expressed his disappointment: "I can't really defend the performance, it was really disappointing after that start. "
Howe further reflected on the game, stating that uncharacteristic errors allowed West Ham opportunities. "Collectively, we were off today and you could see that," he told Sky Sports. The team missed a chance for consecutive wins and lacked physicality. Howe admitted they need to find consistency to bridge the gap left by this poor performance.
Newcastle's away form remains concerning as they have not won in eight consecutive Premier League away games (D4 L4). This is their longest winless streak since a nine-game run starting in 2021-22, with Howe managing the last three matches of that sequence. The team's attack was ineffective despite Howe making three substitutions at halftime.
The Magpies' expected goals (xG) stood at just 0.54 from 12 shots, with only four on target. In contrast, West Ham achieved an xG of 1.67 from 15 attempts on Pope’s goal. Newcastle currently sits 13th with 12 points from their first ten games (W3 D3 L4), marking Howe’s worst start since Bournemouth’s seven-point tally in 2017-18.
Looking Ahead
Jacob Murphy has contributed significantly with seven goals and seven assists in the Premier League this year. He viewed the defeat as a minor setback before Newcastle returns to Champions League action on Wednesday. "That was a bad day at the office," Murphy noted. He emphasised staying calm and focusing on upcoming matches to improve their form.
Full-timepic.twitter.com/VSNBE4fviu
- Newcastle United (@NUFC) November 2, 2025
The defeat underscored Newcastle's ongoing challenges away from St. James' Park and highlighted areas needing improvement for future matches. As they prepare for their next fixtures, maintaining composure and addressing these issues will be crucial for better results.
