Newcastle increased their stranglehold on a top-four finish with a 5-1 win over a hapless West Ham, who completely imploded at the London Stadium.
Callum Wilson, who was selected ahead of Alexander Isak, headed home after just five minutes before Joelinton doubled the advantage when VAR stepped in to overturn a wrongly raised flag for offside.
West Ham threatened to make a game of it when Kurt Zouma reduced the deficit before half-time but a horrendous mistake from Nayef Aguerd when playing out from the back presented Wilson with an easy tap-in for 3-1. Lukasz Fabianski kept the score down in the second half with some superb stops but was majorly at fault for Newcastle’s fourth, misjudging a long ball outside his box and Isak chipped home into an empty net before Joelinton completed the rout.
The win keeps Newcastle in third place in the Premier League, three points clear of Tottenham in fifth with a game in hand. Meanwhile, West Ham remain sat precariously above the relegation zone but only on goal difference as the pressure increases on David Moyes.
West Ham have a London derby at Craven Cottage next up at 3pm on Saturday against Fulham. Newcastle are also in west London, taking on Brentford, also at 3pm.
