Match ends, Newcastle United 3, West Ham United 0.
Promoted Newcastle scored their first goals and recorded their first points of the Premier League season with an impressive win over a struggling West Ham side.
Both teams began the new campaign with two defeats, and it was anticipated this contest would be a war of attrition, even at this early stage of the season.
There was little to entertain the crowd until the 36th minute when Joselu poked in after good work from Mikel Merino and Christian Atsu.
Newcastle grew in confidence after the break and it was 2-0 when the brilliant Matt Ritchie delivered a great ball into the area which was nodded in by Ciaran Clark.
And in the closing moments, substitute Aleksandar Mitrovic made sure of the three points when he took the ball around keeper Joe Hart before slotting in.
The Hammers remain rooted to the bottom of the table, having conceded 10 goals in three games.
A brighter future for the Magpies?
Two defeats, injuries to two key defenders and their playmaker suspended - somebody forgot to put out the welcome mat out for Newcastle on their return to the top flight.
Manager Rafael Benitez, who guided them back to the promised land, suggested this week that he does not plan to stay at the Magpies for too long.
However, in the short time he has been at St James' Park, he has endeared himself to the fans - so much so that they were chanting his name prior to the goal when the home side were creating very little.
They recognise that Benitez appears to have done the best with what little transfer budget he has. Against West Ham, it was the system he played and the determination his players showed which won the day.
Both Ritchie and Isaac Hayden were exceptional with their dogged work in midfield, especially ex-Bournemouth winger Ritchie.
He forced midfielder Declan Rice into losing possession which resulted in the opener. The loose ball found its way to Merino, who played a beautifully-weighted pass for Atsu. The Ghana winger squared the ball for Joselu, who poked in under pressure.
The Magpies increased their lead when Scot Ritchie's cross from the right found defender Clark, who nodded in. And then Mitrovic, perhaps lucky not to see a card for a stray arm which caught Manuel Lanzini, added the third after Newcastle had again pinched the ball from West Ham in their final third.
Hammers teenager learns harsh lesson
Rice, 18, was taken off at half-time, seemingly because his confidence was shattered after the mistake that led to Newcastle's opener.
He was consoled by Hart straight after the goal, but the teenager knew the significance of his mistake in a side that was also short of confidence.
Their best chances came after the break when Rob Elliot blocked Aaron Cresswell's effort and took the sting out of Javier Hernandez's follow-up before Clark cleared the ball off the line.
The international break will give Hammers boss Slaven Bilic time to work out why it is not clicking for his side.
'It was a game of mistakes' - reaction
Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez: "When you are losing it is difficult, when you are winning everyone is happy.
"We won with everyone trying so hard. The fans were crucial last year and they have to be crucial this year - they are trying to help. I think I have some friends in the stands.
"I said before that Joselu needed to be fit. He did well. It was a great effort. Matt Ritchie is an important player - the way he works is an example for the others.
"We will try and bring in players that will give us something different. We know these players."
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: "We made a mistake that led to their first goal and it gave them a boost.
"We came back in the second half and we better in the first 10 minutes, but it's a game of mistakes. We didn't play good. They were the better side. The goals helped them. They deserved those goals because they pressured high up the pitch.
"We have to admit they were better in everything, especially in determination and wanting to win second balls and making a transition when doing that. We didn't deserve anything. We had a midweek game but that had nothing to do with today's performance.
"We are trying to be active [in the transfer market] still but I was happy with the team, it was just the performance that was not good. We can talk about the away games but I expected a lot, lot more."
Man of the match - Matt Ritchie (Newcastle)
Hart not keeping it clean - the stats
- West Ham have lost all three of their Premier League games this season - the last time that they did this was in 2010-11, when they finished bottom
- This was Newcastle's 18th Premier League win against West Ham - only against Aston Villa (22) and Tottenham (21) have they won more often
- This was the 18th time (in 79 games) that West Ham have conceded three or more goals in a Premier League match under Slaven Bilic, including all three games this season
- Mitrovic has scored five and provided assists for two more in his last 10 Premier League appearances
- It is now 22 league appearances without a clean sheet for Hart (Premier League and Serie A combined) - last keeping one on 8 January for Torino against Sassuolo
- In fact, Hart has conceded 20 goals in his last six appearances in league competition
- Joselu has now scored in five different Premier League matches and has ended on the winning side on each occasion
- Joselu became the fourth different Spanish player to net a Premier League goal for Newcastle, after Ayoze Perez (13), Albert Luque (1) and Xisco (1)
What's next?
Newcastle are at Swansea on Sunday, 10 September (16:00 BST) after the resumption and the Hammers host Huddersfield on Monday, 11 September (20:00).
Line-ups
Newcastle
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Elliot
- 19Manquillo
- 6Lascelles
- 2Clark
- 18Mbemba
- 23MerinoBooked at 83mins
- 14HaydenSubstituted forDiaméat 82'minutes
- 11RitchieSubstituted forMurphyat 88'minutes
- 17Pérez
- 30Atsu
- 21JoseluSubstituted forMitrovicat 72'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Murphy
- 10Diamé
- 16Aarons
- 24Saivet
- 27Gámez
- 41Woodman
- 45Mitrovic
West Ham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 25Hart
- 5Zabaleta
- 19Collins
- 21Ogbonna
- 3Cresswell
- 41RiceSubstituted forLanziniat 45'minutes
- 16NobleSubstituted forKouyatéat 71'minutes
- 30Antonio
- 20A AyewSubstituted forSakhoat 70'minutesBooked at 78mins
- 31FernandesBooked at 65mins
- 17HernándezBooked at 17mins
Substitutes
- 4José Fonte
- 8Kouyaté
- 10Lanzini
- 13Adrián
- 14Obiang
- 15Sakho
- 26Masuaku
- Referee:
- Neil Swarbrick
- Attendance:
- 52,093
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home37%
- Away63%
- Shots
- Home17
- Away8
- Shots on Target
- Home8
- Away3
- Corners
- Home7
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home17
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Newcastle United 3, West Ham United 0.
Post update
Foul by Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham United).
Post update
Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Attempt missed. Ayoze Pérez (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Post update
Foul by Diafra Sakho (West Ham United).
Post update
Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
James Collins (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United).
Post update
Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by James Collins.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Christian Atsu (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Mohamed Diamé.
Substitution
Substitution, Newcastle United. Jacob Murphy replaces Matt Ritchie.
Goal!
Goal! Newcastle United 3, West Ham United 0. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ayoze Pérez with a through ball.
Post update
Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Ayoze Pérez (Newcastle United).
Post update
Attempt saved. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mikel Merino.
Post update
Attempt missed. Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
Booking
Mikel Merino (Newcastle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Chicharito (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Mikel Merino (Newcastle United).
Comments
Join the conversation
What a player we have as Englands no.1!
Bilic is only part of the problem - it's the owners who need replacing. They are just waiting for a big pay day from a foreign investor.
Looks confused - is confused - GOODBYE!
( first time since 1972) and I can't see that changing in the next forty or so years .