Antonio and Benrahma lead West Ham to comeback win at Newcastle
Louise Taylor at St James' Park
Date published: Sun 15 Aug 2021 16.10 BST

The forbidding sky made rainwear essential, loud cheers failed to drown out pronounced jeers as the teams took the knee and Newcastle were ultimately well beaten. Nothing, though, could strip the joy from a long-awaited afternoon.

For the first time since 29 February 2020 St James' Park was almost full.

After seemingly endless months of pandemic induced misery the atmosphere remained so highly charged it felt as if the 50,673 crowd might generate sufficient electricity to keep Tyneside's lights on for the entire winter.

If Newcastle's second-half surrender following a spirited start suggested the coming months could be a bit of a grim slog for Steve Bruce's side, the excellence of, in particular, Michail Antonio, Saïd Benrahma and, after a shaky opening, Declan Rice, bode extremely well for David Moyes and West Ham.

As the final whistle blew on a fabulous match, Moyes saluted the exultant away fans, perched high in the Leazes End, and was greeted with choruses of "We're gonna win the league". That may be slightly optimistic but, as the second half unfolded, West Ham's sixth-placed finish last season appeared anything but a fluke.

"If we keep playing like that I don't need to sign anyone else," said Moyes. "We showed great character and our away support was terrific. I really enjoyed it."

By the fifth minute the previously sheeting rain had eased and an excited home fan had forgotten the advice to refrain from hugging strangers and swept a smiling steward off her feet. A trio of right wing step-overs on the part of Allan Saint-Maximin not only left Rice looking horribly dizzy but prefaced a cross which Callum Wilson revelled in heading beyond Lukasz Fabianski from point blank range.

When he joined Newcastle from Bournemouth last year Wilson spoke of his desire to "feel the noise" after scoring here and now, finally, that wish was granted.

Freddie Woodman endured an even longer wait to make his Premier League debut but a combination of Martin Dubravka's foot injury and Karl Darlow's slow recovery from Covid finally opened the door for Bruce's third-choice keeper.

With his godfather, the England manager Gareth Southgate, looking on, Woodman emphasised his talent with an outstanding save from Jarrod Bowen.

By then, though, West Ham had equalised through an Aaron Cresswell cross-shot which deceived all comers on its journey into the bottom corner. With the offside Bowen having swiped a boot at the ball just after it crossed the line, this leveller was originally disallowed but a VAR review cleared up the confusion and the goal was reinstated.

That slight delay represented a rare chance for everyone to draw breath on a fast, frenetic afternoon when the ferociously high tempo was married to an impressive degree of finesse as the ball zipped at pace across the damp, slick pitch.

When Miguel Almirón's clever feint played the overlapping Matt Ritchie in, the left wing-back crossed and Jacob Murphy out-leapt everyone to head Newcastle back in front.

Yet, critically, Bruce's players lacked sufficient collective concentration to retain their lead and, as Saint-Maximin's mind wandered, Rice exerted revenge for his earlier humiliation by dispossessing him near the halfway line. That catalytic challenge precipitated Antonio crossing for an unmarked Benrahma to head West Ham level again.

With Antonio virtually unplayable and Rice irrepressible, Moyes's side were in control and, as Antonio's header crashed back off the bar, the defensively vulnerable Murphy fouled Pablo Fornals.

A penalty – described as "harsh" and "a big turning point" by Bruce – was awarded. Although Woodman saved Antonio's spot-kick, Tomas Soucek reacted smartly to slam the rebound home. "We have to be better defensively," said Newcastle's manager, who surely regrets selecting Emil Krafth ahead of Jamaal Lascelles in the back three. "We have to sharpen up."

Unfortunately for Bruce – who could have done with his his new £22m midfielder Joe Willock signing from Arsenal in time for involvement here – Antonio has already mastered the art of swift self-improvement. All frowns, he knew he should have done better with both the header and the penalty but atonement beckoned.

Moyes's side caught an increasingly exhausted looking Newcastle flat-footed and, breaking at speed, Antonio exchanged passes with Benrahma before his viciously incisive shot into the bottom corner defied Woodman.

It was his 47th Premier League goal for West Ham, equalling Paolo Di Canio's club record. If Moyes can somehow keep him fit this season, opposition defenders have cause for serious concern.

Daily Mail MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS
Newcastle (3-4-3): Woodman 6: Fernandez 5, Hayden 5, Clark 5.5; Krafth 5 (Longstaff 84), Shelvey 5.5 (Fraser 70 6), Almiron 7, Ritchie 7; Murphy 7, Wilson 7.5 (Joelinton 84), Saint-Maximin 7.5
Subs unused: Gillespie (Gk), Schar, Lascelles, Joelinton, Lewis, Hendrick, Gayle, Longstaff
Goals: Wilson 5, Murphy 40
Booked: Almiron
West Ham: Fabianski 6: Coufal 5, Ogbonna 6, Dawson 6, Cresswell 7; Rice 6.5, Soucek 8; Bowen 7 (yarmolenko 90), Benrahma 8.5 (Fredericks 88), Fornals 7; Antonio 7 (Johnson 90)
Goals: Cresswell 18, Behrahma 53, Soucek 63, Antonio 66
Subs unused: Areola (Gk), Lanzini, Noble, Diop, Coventry, Baptiste
Referee: Martin Atkinson 7
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