Newcastle have carved out a two-goal lead over West Ham in a huge game at the bottom of the Premier League table.
The Hammers know they have to get a result to put Tottenham back into the relegation zone, with Spurs only needing a point if their rivals lose at St James’ Park.
And it was the worst possible start for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men on Tyneside, who fell behind inside the opening quarter of an hour.
After having a penalty incident looked at and cleared, the Magpies struck just a few moments later.
A clever ball into the box was met by Nick Woltemade, who converted on the half volley to open proceedings.
Not long after, the hosts had their second.
This time it was a well-orchestrated break, with Newcastle exploiting the space in West Ham’s midfield and releasing William Osula. The towering forward bore down on goal before finishing past Mads Hermansen, who had made the initial mistake and gifted the chance to his opponents.
West Ham certainly have ground to make up if they are to take home any points in this match, although a change in personnel has sparked more life into the visitors.
