It feels a little harsh, what with Newcastle extending their unbeaten streak to seven, to suggest their visit to West Ham was one game too far. But then again, the standard they now try to bear has little margin for error: only the very best perfect the Champions League to Premier League balancing act.
And, sapped perhaps by the physical and mental exertions of sweeping Paris St-Germain aside – a historic, Kylian Mbappe-shackling, evening – Newcastle’s levels dropped. They could not quite prevent bubbles blowing.
As the 90th minute approached, Eddie Howe’s side looked to have eked out victory, Alexander Isak’s post-break double having flipped arrears into lead. But West Ham substitute Mohammed Kudus was given such freedom that even a heavy touch did not prevent him getting his strike away. Nick Pope was defeated from outside the area, Sandro Tonali perhaps just too exhausted to have got a block in.
“Whenever you concede goals there is a frustration for me – I’m looking for perfection,” said Eddie Howe. “I’ll never sit here and critique individual mistakes. But we made mistakes in midfield that allowed them to have the space that they did.”
West Ham, like their opponents, were in midweek action. But David Moyes was able to make five changes from their win at Freiburg. Howe’s squad is so stretched – Sven Botman, Joe Willock and Joelinton all missed out, while Callum Wilson, who appeared for the final few minutes, had ‘break-glass-in-emergency’ status – that he had no option to rotate. Newcastle’s one change was enforced, Anthony Gordon’s suspension handing Elliot Anderson a start.
“These players can make a difference in a tight game like that where we are fatigued and 2-1 up,” Howe admitted.
And so ultimately the feeling was deflation. But then, that is the glass-half-full angle. Because at half-time, even the most optimistic Newcastle follower would have settled for a point.
They had lacked their usual zip. There was a tiredness, a lethargy that brought sloppiness. Tomas Soucek was able to nudge West Ham ahead early with the simplest of finishes, Jamaal Lascelles and Pope both temporarily getting stuck in the matrix.
They lacked any creative juice. Bruno Guimaraes was arguably fortunate not to have been dismissed for a foul on James Ward-Prowse. Had he not already been booked, a yellow card would surely have come, 45 minutes could have been a fortnight, and Newcastle would not have scored.
“Really tough first half for us. We weren’t ourselves,” Howe conceded. “We just didn’t have much rhythm in the game.”
It was different after the interval. A spark belatedly arrived. Suddenly Newcastle found their sense of adventure, their crisp first-time passing.
The equaliser was a smart finish from Isak after Kieran Trippier’s free-kick that Edson Alvarez headed back across his own goal.
Moyes – who declared himself “pleased with a point” – argued vocally at the time that Lucas Paqueta had not fouled Tonali. He wisely kept his counsel post-match on both that and Guimaraes’ potential dismissal.
Newcastle’s second was them at their very best. Guimaraes and Trippier have a telepathy that means the former barely need lift his head. The angled pass left Trippier with enough space and time to take a touch. But he did not. His quality dictated it unnecessary, and a volleyed first-time cross was perfect in both weight and direction. Isak had a tap in.
Had he completed his hat-trick rather than striking the outside of the post soon after, Isak’s intervention might have been decisive. But in the end, the Newcastle tank ran too close to empty.
Perspective is required, though. Before the last international break, Newcastle surrendered meekly at Brighton. Some external voices suggested there was a crisis, questioned Howe’s credentials. The septet of games since has seen them claim five victories, score freely and concede just three goals.
“It’s been a brilliant spell for us,” said Howe. “When you go back to the Brighton game, there was a response needed. We needed to come back after the break and build our confidence back and get results. We’ve done that and some really.
“Now we need to rest, refocus and come back in the same vein of form.”
He is right; the relentlessness will continue.
