West Ham fans could hardly believe it; their side had clawed back from behind to lead 2-1 against Newcastle, and the London Stadium erupted into incredulous, joyous heckling as the first half wound down.
“How bad must you be?” thousands chanted, half-mocking, half-elated, celebrating a team finally looking like it wanted to fight.
Tomas Soucek’s stoppage-time finish made that fight pay off, but by then Newcastle’s afternoon had already unraveled.
Newcastle arrived fresh off a hot run of big-home wins over Tottenham, Fulham and Benfica, yet away from St James’ Park they’ve looked a different animal.
Eddie Howe’s side took an early lead through Jacob Murphy, but after that the composure drained away.
Turning territory and possession into meaningful control proved elusive. Unforced errors multiplied, the midfield failed to stamp its authority, and the usual pace and punch simply weren’t there.
Howe’s verdict was scathing in its honesty.
“Forget my name, it didn't look like a Newcastle team we have seen in recent seasons,” he said.
By half-time, with an own goal unlucky yet symptomatic of the visitors' malaise, Howe had seen enough.
The manager reacted like any coach watching a team drift: he hauled players off and reshuffled, admitting he “almost could have taken anyone off.”
That blunt line laid bare just how disconnected Newcastle looked; a rare public admission from a man usually calm on the touchline. But even the substitutions failed to reset momentum. Newcastle’s away form remains fragile: winless on the road since April and now without an away league victory in eight.
For West Ham, the result felt like a reclamation. Instead of turning ire toward their board, supporters sensed a moment of hope.
Nuno Espírito Santo praised the crowd’s response and the team’s character, arguing this is the way the club must respond; fight, make games difficult for opponents, and show intent
The result highlights uncomfortable trends for Newcastle and underlines the fine margins that separate confidence from doubt.
Howe’s side travel like a team searching for its rhythm: capable of brilliance at St James’ Park but susceptible on the road.
Players and staff know the mirror moment is needed, not hysteria. Jacob Murphy urged calm, calling for reflection rather than reaction and pointing to times when a similar low preceded a dramatic resurgence.
Newcastle must turn this frustration into fuel when they return home to the Gtech Community Stadium.
If history is anything to go by, a humbling London defeat can be a catalyst for a run of form.
For now, Howe’s honest appraisal, the uneasy away record and West Ham’s renewed steel make one thing clear: the season’s momentum can shift in an afternoon, and both teams have plenty left to prove.
