FootyChatter.com

By WILL PICKWORTH and CRAIG HOPE AT THE LONDON STADIUM and JAMES SHARPE AT THE LONDON STADIUM Published: 05: 36 AEDT, 11 March 2025 | Updated: 08: 59 AEDT, 11 March 2025 22 View comments Follow Mail Sport's live blog of West Ham vs Newcastle in the Premier League as the Magpies look to gain ground in the race for the top four.   Areola comes up for a last-gasp free kick. Can Paqueta deliver in a dangerous ball? Pope comes, doesn't quite get the best punch but West Ham can't recycle it into the box and Michael Salisbury blows his whistle. It wasn't pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but that is an important three points for Newcastle and a big boost ahead of Sunday's Carabao Cup final. Into the sixth minute of added time. A final throw of the dice for the Hammers! Can they rescue anything? Newcastle are defending well. Mavrapanos thumps a crossfield ball straight out of play. That sort of sums up tonight for Graham Potter's side. .. By James Sharpe At The London Stadium Pope comes out and punches a corner away well just as the fourth official announces there will be six minutes of added time. The London Stadium is emptying but can West Hamlaunch a comeback. Kudus fires in a delightful ball after beating Livramento but Trippier defends brilliantly. Newcastle are closing this game out nicely, with it looking set to be a frustrating evening for West Ham. Guimaraes is the next Magpies star to be taken off and the Brazilian is serenaded by the travelling fans as Longstaff comes on in his place. We should have a hefty amount of added time so there is still hope for the Hammers, but Pope has not made a proper save this evening. First yellow card of the evening as Burn catches Scarles late. West Ham haven't really threatened in the past 10 minutes and you just feel like their play has been a bit slow today. Bar Kudus, their attacking players have not really been on it, including the ever so reliable Bowen. Ings is on for Ward-Prowse as Pope bravely comes out and clears with his head. A double change for Newcastle as they look to close out the game. Isak and Barnes are replaced by Wilson and Willock. Isak didn't quite look fully fit today, although Newcastle fans will just be happy that he has come through unscathed and should be all good for Sunday's cup final. Barnes has probably been Newcastle's biggest attacking threat so a very positive showing from the winger, who has often been left frustrated by his lack of gametime over two seasons with the Magpies. West Ham are still struggling to break down Newcastle despite the introduction of several attacking assets. Meanwhile, here's a look at that goal. Let us know in the comments if you think that was a foul on Kilman. It does look worse on the replays, but VAR didn't see fit to intervene. It got lost in among that goal, but what a save that was from Areola. It appears it was a complete Kilman slice, rather than rebounding off Cresswell as I had initially reported. A real shame for the Frenchman that his side conceded shortly after. Ferguson is now on for Cresswell as Potter continues to ring the changes. West Ham want a penalty now! Paqueta's dinked ball is just in front of Bowen and Guimaraes appears to nudge him over in the box. Hammers fans are incensed, although again it was limited contact and VAR have chosen to stick with the on-field decision. Still risky from the Newcastle man though. West Ham were not happy that the goal wasn't ruled out for a push on Kilman from Isak. I have seen those given before, so perhaps they can count themselves hard done-by, although it was only a slight shove and the defender may not have got there anyway. Despite the controversy, it was poor defending from the Hammers. Barnes was given way too much space, before Guimaraes pulled off Cresswell and got there before Scarles. By James Sharpe At The London Stadium And Graham Potter has instantly reacted to that goal with a triple sub. Paqueta, Soler and Mavropanos are on for Soucek, Alvarez and Todibo. He'll hope that gives his side a bit more attacking impetus. By James Sharpe At The London Stadium And now they're ahead! West Ham's defenders stand off Barnes as he puts a cross in. Todibo clears the ball straight back to Barnes. He's given acres of space again, floats a beautiful ball into the box and Guimaraes is there to slide in at the far post. There are appeals for a push on Kilman, but nothing is given and Newcastle are ahead! Huge celebrations in the away end. Just as I say that and Newcastle are inches away from going ahead. Murphy is in down the right and he puts a dangerous ball into the box. It's a freak incident as Kilman clears it onto Cresswell. The ball bounces up and is going in, but Areola reacts and somehow claws the ball off the line. Isak can't get his feet sorted out and hits the rebound over the bar. What a save! This game really has been characterised by a lack of quality in the final third. I'd love to give the credit to the defenders on this occasion, with both sides well organised and not giving an inch. But also, there's been so many times this evening that the final pass has ben intercepted, or a bad ball has put halt to an attacking move. Just over 30 minutes still to go and it might be time for both managers to turn to their benches for some attacking inspiration. West Ham have really started this half well like they did in the first period. Kudus wins the ball of Burn, drives towards goal and fires in a delightful ball across the six-yard box - but no-one is there. They are having a good spell of possession though here and Kudus definitely looks like the man most likely to break the deadlock for the Hammers. He is so exciting to watch in full flow as the hosts force a couple of corners. Penalty shout for West Ham! Better play from the Hammers to start this half and Kudus and Schar go for the same ball, but the forward is down on the ground. There are muted appeals from the hosts though and the challenge is cleared by VAR. At the other end, Isak can't quite find Barnes with a through ball. This game has been characterised by indecisiveness at both ends from attacking players. Meanwhile, replays showed Schar did indeed get the ball first. A very decent challenge. Here we go for a big 45 mintues in both teams' season. No changes for either side at the break. It's been a quiet first half for a lot of attacking options there, although Newcastle's left triumvirate of Livramento, Joelinton and Barnes have looked dangerous. Barnes, handed a rare start in Gordon's absence, has particularly been bright, with the winger having Newcastle's two chances. Livramento is repeatedly getting space down the left, something which is helped by Joelinton's presence, although the right footed nature of the defender means that he's often turning back into a crowded area. However, he still has put in some teasing crosses and that side of Newcastle's attack have had more luck than the likes of Murphy and Trippier on the right. Tonali did finish the half, but Eddie Howe will be hoping the issue is nothing serious. What a moment that was just before kick off! By Craig Hope At The London Stadium By William Pickworth And that's that for the first 45 minutes. Not too much to report, but Soucek's first minute chance remains the best. Newcastle have slightly edged the play there and Areola had to be at his best to deny Barnes twice, but it's all to play for in the second half. By William Pickworth A few handbags to liven up the sombre crowd inside the London Stadium. I'm not quite sure what completely happened but Alvarez shoulder-barged Guimaraes, prompting a few scuffles in there. Guimaraes threw himself to the floor like he had been shot, but referee Michael Salisbury was not buying a thing there. Good refereeing! By William Pickworth Nearly so brilliant from Kudus. The Ghanaian latched onto Alvarez's header from Areola's long ball. He tried to spin away from Trippier and back onto his left foot, but just as he did so he couldn't quite control the ball, before he blocked Bowen's follow-up shot himself. Newcastle deal with the danger. Kudus has looked lively tonight, but he's lacking a bit of support up there - and you can't help but feel both him and Bowen would be better suited playing off a proper No 9-like striker. By William Pickworth We're just approaching half-time here and it's still goalless. Newcastle have had the better of the play in the past 20 or so minutes, but Bowen and Kudus are linking up nicely up top for the Hammers when they get the chance, although the pairing haven't had much service. That Soucek chance within one minute remains the best chance of the game, but Areola has also made two good stops from Barnes. By William Pickworth Some great skill from Wan-Bissaka gets West Ham up the pitch. He really has been a revelation in East London this season. His pass is dummied by Bowen and Kudus picks up the loose ball, before stinging the palms of Pope. At the other end Isak breaks away and feeds in Barnes, but Wan-Bissaka is there with a brilliant challenge, before Todibo sweeps up. By William Pickworth JAMES SHARPE AT THE LONDON STADIUM: By William Pickworth A nicely worked corner from Trippier sees the ball go all the way to the back post. Burn heads back across goal and Barnes connects with his head, but Areola is again at full stretch to palm away. A great save! West Ham are on the back foot here, and their keeper - who is sporting a smart moustache - has started this game well. By William Pickworth This has been a lively start to the game. Wan-Bissaka runs into the Newcastle box but appears to slip over. Livramento picks up the loose ball and breaks towards the half-way line, but then also slips over. West Ham progress the ball forward and Bowen cuts inside and into the box, but his effort is straight at Pope. He didn't quite connect with that properly. At the other end Newcastle then win a corner. By William Pickworth West Ham are under the pump now. Newcastle are awake and playing some nice football. Livramento's cross goes all the way through to Trippier. His effort goes to Barnes, who flicks at goal but Areola pulls off a great stop to keep this tie level. Guimaraes then goes down in the box under pressure from Kilman, but it didn't look like a foul - and VAR confirms that. This past 10 minutes have been much better from Eddie Howe's side. By William Pickworth Better from Newcastle. After a period of possession, Guimaraes feeds the ball through nicely for Barnes to the left of the goal. But the winger gets it all wrong as he attempts what looks like a scooped finish, but mis-kicks it - and his effort is well wide. A little bit rusty perhaps? By William Pickworth By William Pickworth Things have calmed down following that frantic start to the game. It does feel that Antonio's appearance on the pitch before kick off really ramped up the atmosphere among West Ham fans. Newcastle are getting a few passes together now, although I've just been reminded of a stat that sounds ominous for the Magpies. West Ham have won their last seven games that they've played on a Monday night! How is that for a stat? By William Pickworth This has been a bright start from West Ham and they look full of confidence here after their back-to-back wins. This time Bowen goes down the right and his cross is not dealt with. Burn slices his clearance and it hits Alvarez in the chest and goes wide. .. that could have gone anywhere. Newcastle taking a little while to settle here. By William Pickworth What a chance for West Ham inside 45 seconds. Kudus picks up a long ball on the left hand side before twisting inside Schar. He puts a teasing ball into the box that both Burn and Livramento fail to clear and Soucek is there just yards out. He takes a touch, but blasts his effort over the bar. What a start that would have been and a huge opportunity. By William Pickworth West Ham get us underway. It's a great atmosphere inside the London Stadium. Let's hope the game lives up to that. Here we go. .. By William Pickworth What a moment! I have goosebumps watching this. Just a few months after that horrific car crash, Michail Antonio is back at the London Stadium and what a show of love he is receiving. Antonio looks taken aback by the reception as he puffs out his cheeks and you can see what it means to him. I must say he looks in fantastic shape too and he is now being serenaded by Hammers fans. By William Pickworth And kick off is just moments away. This promises to be a fascinating encounter, with lots of storylines from both sides. Let's hope it lives up to the hype. By William Pickworth Lucas Paqueta returns to West Ham's squad tonight in what is a huge boost to Graham Potter. However, Mail Sport exclusively revealed on Friday that the Hammers fear Paqueta is set up to lose his seismic fight with the Football Association which could see the Brazilian star banned for life if he is found to have broken betting rules. Senior Hammers sources have told Mail Sport they are not confident of a victory as they believe the odds are stacked against the Premier League club and their player. That is owing to the standard of proof being based on a ‘balance of probabilities’ – as in civil law cases – as opposed to the more rigorous ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ threshold applied in criminal proceedings. Read KIERAN GILL'S full story below. .. By William Pickworth It's tight in among that cluster of clubs pushing for Europe. A win for Newcastle tonight could prove to be massive. It's equally close towards the bottom of the table and West Ham will rise to 13th with a victory. By William Pickworth Eddie Howe has just been speaking ahead of tonight's game. Here's what he had to say. By William Pickworth Howe also spoke about making three changes to his starting line-up tonight. Here's what he had to say: By William Pickworth By William Pickworth It might not be to do with this game, but there is some big news coming out of the Premier League tonight. Man United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has conducted a fascinating interview with the BBC, slamming several of the club's stars while also backing the under-fire Ruben Amorim. In a wide-ranging chat, he also admitted the decisions to keep Erik ten Hag and bring in Dan Ashworth as sporting director were both mistakes. Read the full stories below. .. By William Pickworth Here's a sneak peak at the Michail Antonio banner that West Ham fans will unfurl before kick off tonight. His return to the London Stadium promises to be a hugely emotional moment for all involved. By James Sharpe At The London Stadium JAMES SHARPE AT THE LONDON STADIUM: West Ham have a long and proud history of producing homegrown youngsters, but in recent years the production line has slowed down, with academy graduates given fewer opportunities than in years gone by. However, one of the early success stories of Graham Potter's tenure has been the emergence of young left back Oliver Scarles. Scarles, 19, was part of the Hammers' much vaunted youth team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2022-23 and he has looked at home in the Premier League. And it's clear that he's got a huge fan in Graham Potter, who has just hailed the teenager when speaking to Sky Sports. Graham Potter has just been speaking to Sky Sports ahead of tonight's game. He discussed formations, defensive resilience and aims for the rest of the season. Back in November, it was hoped that West Ham's impressive victory at Newcastle would kickstart their season after a difficult first few months under Julen Lopetegui. However, things never quite worked out for the Spaniard, who was dismissed in January, meaning that night at St James' Park remains one of the few highlights of his short tenure. You can catch up on highlights from that clash below, although maybe one not to look back on if you are of a Newcastle persuasion. .. By James Sharpe At The London Stadium We mentioned just moments ago how Michail Antonio is set to return to the London Stadium tonight following his horror car crash in December. Hammers supporters will no doubt give their much-loved striker a monumental welcome and they are planning a special display. Earlier today, we reported how fan group Ironworks Alliance have plans to unfurl a huge banner to show their ‘love and support’ for Antonio. It is a demonstration that they hope will show how much they adore and are behind the striker throughout his recovery. Read the full story below. .. By James Sharpe At The London Stadium First there was a defeat at Liverpool where Newcastle failed to lay a glove on Arne Slot’s side, before a damaging 2-1 loss to Brighton in the FA Cup fifth round that came following extra time. Anthony Gordon was sent off during the cup clash for a reckless push on Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke to rub salt into the wounds. It was then later revealed that Lewis Hall will miss the rest of the season due to an ankle injury he picked up against Liverpool, with news then breaking that Sven Botman is set to miss around eight weeks due to a knee injury. When it rains, it pours - and not ideal preparation ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, which also comes against Liverpool. By James Sharpe At The London Stadium JAMES SHARPE AT THE LONDON STADIUM: By William Pickworth Graham Potter keeps the same team that beat Leicester 2-0 last time out as the Hammers look to make it three wins on the trot. There's a boost on the bench too as Lucas Paqueta returns to fitness after missing the past few weeks with an ankle injury. (3-5-2): Areola; Todibo, Kilman, Cresswell; Wan-Bissaka, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Alvarez, Scarles; Bowen, Kudus SUBS: Fabianski, Soler, Paqueta, Mavropanos, Guilherme, Ings, Rodriguez, Emerson, Ferguson By William Pickworth Isak DOES start! It's three changes for Newcastle from their last game - an FA Cup defeat by Brighton - as Pope, Guimaraes and Murphy replace Dubravka, Miley and Gordon. (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento; Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Barnes SUBS: Dubvravka, Wilson, Targett, Krafth, Osula, Willock, Longstaff, Miley, Neave By William Pickworth We'll have team news with you in a few minutes. As Craig says, Alexander Isak's status as a starter or substitute could have a huge impact on tonight's proceedings. .. By William Pickworth CRAIG HOPE AT THE LONDON STADIUM: This could prove to be a crucial evening for both teams as we head into the final stretch of the season. For Newcastle, tonight provides a major opportunity for them to give their European hopes a shot in the arm, with Eddie Howe’s side down in ninth, but just five points off fourth place Chelsea. Meanwhile, it has been a pretty dismal campaign for West Ham, but the last few weeks have shown signs that Graham Potter is starting to have an impact in East London. The Hammers beat Arsenal 1-0 after a hugely impressive and positive performance, before they dispatched Leicester 2-0 with ease last time out. They’ve had almost two weeks off thanks to no FA Cup action, but will be desperate to keep up the good form as they look to push themselves towards the top half of the table. And welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of West Ham vs Newcastle at the London Stadium. Stay with us throughout the evening for all the build-up, team news and updates from this important Premier League clash. Dreadful game with no atmosphere

Share what you think

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mail Online.

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual.   Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on Mail Online. To do this we will link your Mail Online account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy. Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group